Love of the century
by Cici3388
Summary: They had been best friends all of their lives, she kept nothing from him and he accepted her for who or rather what she was. Yet she recently found out that he had been keeping secrets, as she journeys to find out more about her best friend she soon finds that she has much more to learn about herself.
1. Chapter 1

It was nothing to sneak through the hole in the floor, once Zoie distracted Botan of course, granted she didn't always use her dog to suit her purposes but they agreed that this was necessary. She only had one true friend, on two legs that is and she had only found out recently that he was not who he said he was. He got his share of chewing out but she was far from done; now she would see just what it was he was up to when he would disappear for days.

The whole place looked like a barren wasteland, she saw flashes of lights and the little demons scatter and it was like a sixth sense she had, whenever he was around, she always felt at ease like a child comforted by the touch of their favorite teddy. She instantly shook the thought out of her head and hid behind some rocks watching from a distance as they spoke to each other. She has seen the short one before, he never spoke a word to her when she tried to introduce herself which is why she couldn't use the word met. The one in green…yes that was the one on the roof at the hospital when she heard the news that rocked her world, she has heard his name was Yusuke…he was a nice guy. The one in blue she seen only once before from a distance, from where she stood he seemed immature and aggressive not really the type she would casually hang out with…if of course she hung out with anyone but Shuichi.

The sharp pang of betrayal struck her again and anger flooded her senses, she then wondered if she should just find a way out now.

"Are you really going to sit here all day and stare or are you going to go over there?"

"And what do I say?" Zoie padded over, shaking the dust from his fur before sitting beside her. He stood three feet at the shoulders and had thick black fur the only thing that kept him from being solid being the small white diamond on his forehead. His dark blue collar jingled with the attached tags as he scratched behind his head. This was the friend she had literally all her life, the best friend on four legs she would call him and he accepted it but not without her hearing his mouth which she accepted.

"What do you mean what do you say?! You didn't come all this way to be a creeper, so he lives a different life without you, get over it. What are you more upset about, that he is a demon and hid it from you, or that you didn't figure it out?" He had her there, but her forbidding glare silenced him.

"I'll tell you what I'll go break the ice, most of them know me anyway, but I need your permission to speak to the other three." She looked back at the group a mixture of fear and excitement crept in.

"Look at it like this; you get to be your true self." With that he pranced over and the excitement flooded her. In the public eye she had to be the good little school girl, quiet and meek. She was just as smart as Shuichi but couldn't excel too much but had to keep her grades very well so to stay off of the radar. She didn't have any friends; it wasn't that she didn't want them but she could only be so bland and watered down during school hours and she didn't dare take anyone home with her.

"Holy crap, that dog is talking! Does anyone else hear that dog talking?! I swear if someone's punking us I'm bashing faces in!"

"Kuwabara calm down, I know this dog, I've seen him around in our city, hell he even cuts class with me to get lunch." Yusuke ruffles Zoies' head and her nerves settle.

"But that doesn't answer the question; what are you doing here and why are you talking ?"

"Maybe he fell through the hole we went through and this place spikes intelligence and gave him talking powers!"

"If that were remotely true you wouldn't have sounded so idiotic when you suggested it."

"You know what small fry, don't make me come down there and break your head."

"Fellas please, I assure you I could always speak, it is just that I only speak to whom my mistress allows."

"Mistress, who's that?"

"What would be me." It was like she had melted away from the rocks, she looked like a normal schoolgirl but something underneath was more…exotic. She was about 5'6' maybe 125lb at most and skin like milk chocolate. Her brown eyes deep and inquisitive and her smile mischievous; it was so much how she looked that caught the boys off guard but the way she moved, slow…fluid almost seductively without even trying. They couldn't help but sense something else about her…something dangerous. Was she a friend, an enemy? They weren't sure and were quickly on their guard.

"What's the matter Shuichi? You look like you've seen a ghost." They looked stunned for a moment but her eyes remained on him who she knew wouldn't admit that he was surprised she actually followed him.

"Kurama, is she talking to you?" Yusuke nudged him quietly

"Oh yes that's right! I can't very well call you Shuichi, not with your _other_ friends here now can I? You know what; I think I will just call you K when we are doing jobs like this it will be much easier for us both. Well go ahead K, tell your new buddies who I am so that we may get properly acquainted."

"She's my best friend." He sighed with a half-smile, was he amused at her?

"Best friend? Hmm pretty specific choice of words; I mean sure we've been hanging together since we were in diapers, in fact I can tell you who was out of them first. You guys have to excuse me, you see he never told me he had a whole second life and as his best friend you can see why I am a little surprised."

"Siera please, we do not have time for this."

"Yeah, we have a bunch of demon asses to go kick so if you're done we got to get going!"

"Wait a minute! I came all this way to help!"

"The only thing you will be is a meal for those creatures when they come back we don't have time to babysit a third person." She watched in fury as they walked away without so much as looking back. _Find someplace safe to hide, I will come back for you. _It wasn't often he let her read his thoughts of course he would have to pick them out before sending them to her. _You know me better than that K. _

_Yes…I was afraid of that…_ In her own mind it was confirmation that she could tag along, but something felt wrong. Instead of the front entrance the boys had gone through she went around the side. She found a window about twenty feet up and took a minute to think.

"Looks like a decent climb, nothing we don't do in gym."

"But you don't even know what's up there what could be waiting for you up there."

"True, but remember Zoie, if everyone is focused on the party at the front door…"

"Crash it through the back window." They chuckled as she tied her dark hair into a ponytail and began to climb the rugged wall slowly looking for handholds as she went. It wasn't long before she got to the window, she was in shape, and every muscle fine-tuned the way she wanted. She easily swung her legs around and hopped to the floor. She let out a high pitched whistle and Zoie bounded in through the window effortlessly. It was dark but more troubling, it was quiet.

"You smell that?"

"Yup." A figure came at them with lightning speed nearly slicing her throat with its claws. As she dodged she grabbed the hair on the back of its head and with a pull swung onto its shoulders, Zoie had an arm, mercilessly shaking as she strangled the being. It flung him aside and she jumped away before he could strike again. She stood in the shadows this time as the demon leered at her with dripping fangs. She had no fear, in fact it was just what she wanted.

"It's been a long time since I had a human to taste, the thought of your blood on my tongue makes my mouth water."

"You're really hungry aren't you?" It was her voice, but it echoed within the beasts head making him think she was simply speaking.

"Yes…come over here and let me rip you apart human girl."

"Hmm, no, I don't think so. But you will come over here closer to me." The beast couldn't help but laugh at the audacity that a simple human would try to command him but yet found his feet moving none the less.

"What is this?!"

"Shhhh….quiet now, no more screaming, no more pain, no more eating, not again…" she sang it in a soft tune a low hypnotic sound that entranced the demon. In the dark shadows two piecing blue eyes glowed and the beast knew then just what was going on. He moved towards her without his consent, unable to strike or turn away, nothing but the eerie tune of the girls song as those menacing eyes read every inch of his soul.

"Must you play with him, they could be in trouble."

"But I never get to play…" She said it in a seductively whining tone, the beast was entranced but could still think, wonder about where it had gone wrong.

"Get on your knees." The demon complied whimpering its disbelief and fear.

"This can't be… you're only a human!" She closed the gap between them to bend over and look into his eyes one final time, a sadistically satisfying grin on her face.

"Sorry darling, but your only half right. Now kill yourself." She turned her back and hurried along with Zoie at her heels the sound of a neck snapping in the background hoping that her playtime didn't cost her new friends their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

"I haven't felt that way in such a long time; for once I controlled the situation, I had someone at my feet groveling for their life, I never felt so alive!"

"Yes but you know you cannot always rely on your ability, you are still learning how to use it and what if he were too strong to succumb?"

"Then we would have had to kill him with bare handed, nothing we haven't done before."

"That was once and we barely got out of there alive."

"Well I had to do something, I wasn't going to let..." the tragic sting hit her again, she flashed back to the time another creature ventured into their lives looking to make a meal out of them, it was but a few blocks from Shuichi and Shiori's house and she had to protect them. She fought hard and was injured greatly, but she kept her best friend and his mother safe. She had always saw herself as his protector, as exchange for accepting a half-demon as a friend she would do whatever it took to keep him and woman to become a second mother to her safe. However the memory only brought her to realization that the creature was venturing to that direction for no reason and even more possible that who she once thought was a frail human boy could've destroyed the demon much more easily than her. How many more times did he let her believe she was useful?

"Hey…don't do that, I know you and dwelling on the past is what you do best. You will drive yourself crazy if you pick over every moment with a fine toothed comb."

"I'm already crazy Zoie." It was then she heard their voices in the distance, she wasn't aware they were walking that long, it couldn't have been ten minutes but it felt like mere seconds to her, she hated when that happened.

"Hey you guys hear that? I think we have company again!" Of course, they were much more aware than normal people, sneaking up on them would not be wise.

"It's just us!" she called out and trotted the remaining distance to rejoin the group. She only met his eyes for a moment and yet read so much, he was glad that she was safe. Why was it that he could instantly calm her and yet stir so much anxiety at the same time?

"Wait how did you get in, we nearly got crushed to death trying to come into the only entrance." Her eyes glanced far behind them at the wall that nearly sealed their fates while she was toying around and a stab of guilt joined her already troubled conscience.

"We snuck in through a window along the side of the castle; we knew if their focus would be you guys at the front door then we wouldn't be noticed. But if I had known you would have been in so much danger I wouldn't have taken so long…I'm so sorry."

"Aw don't worry yourself, a pretty lady like yourself shouldn't need to fret. We men know how to take care of ourselves." The one called Kuwabara took her hands in his as he looked deeply into her eyes and she couldn't help but be curious…as well as a bit disgusted. She looked back and began to read his thoughts, trying to find a memory tell her where she had seen him. And then she found it. In a rage she flipped him onto his back and with both hands on his throat kneeled onto his chest.

"You! You tried to kill Kita! Didn't you!"

"Who...what are you talking about?!"

"Hey let him go!"

"Think…Genkai's compound, about six months ago you came across a wolf, he was brown with gray patches and one blue eye THINK!" Within moments she had gotten her answer and stood.

"What the hell was that about?! Why did you just throw him down like you were going to kill him and then let him go?!" _Gees…I'm really not good at this making friends thing._ She brushed off her skirt and reached for Kuwabara's hand who hesitantly took it. Now all eyes were on her, confused and a little upset.

"I have a pack of wolves, I raised most of them from pups on Master Genkai's compound. She had said she didn't care that they stay as long as she never had to worry about visitors ha! Um, anyway during that tournament she had one of them…Kita, had been injured. I remember seeing Kuwabara there but as it turns out he had helped him, not hurt him. I'm sorry I accused you."

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"I can read your memories, it's like being a telepath only I also see them as you do. All I have to do is ask a question and a person will think to that related memory even if they planned to tell a lie you cannot lie to the information stored in our own mind. I saw you pull Kita from the snare before running away."

"Consider her a walking lie detector, you could try to lie but unless you knew ahead of time what information she was even looking for you could never know what to not think about." Zoie explained it much better in her opinion and she felt the anxiety creep back in. she couldn't let them see how weak she felt. She held her head high, dominant and confidant and smiled in satisfaction.

"So anyway, we should get going, I hear there are foes to fight?"

"The four saint beasts to be exact, and this is not some field trip, I am not going to waste my time trying to save a hapless girl from certain death."

"Hiei she can hold her own, I assure you she may even be of some help." It was the second time he had acknowledged her since she even came here. She began to wonder if he was ashamed of her, was he embarrassed to have her there? They began walking again without another word and she let herself slip back to walk alongside him. He seemed different, his energy felt different and yet she knew it hadn't much changed from any other day, could it be that she trusted him so much that she let the façade go for all of these years? Why didn't she sense it? Her thoughts were interrupted by loud growling and a door opening to their right. As they walked in they peered upon the stone beast and she felt the shivers creep up her spine.

"I will fight him." She was equally stunned as the others but held her tongue. _This is it; I will finally see just what it is he can do. _She watched in amazement as he performed his attack how quick he was and his perception.

"Zoie, be straight with me, did you know he could do this?"

"Well, I knew he wasn't normal."

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"What would it have done? He obviously didn't want you to know and he was happy to let you be his little body guard. If you knew would it have made a difference?"

"Of course it would have! I wouldn't have felt so alone…"

"But you weren't alone, that's the point. I'm telling you, let it go or it will consume you." She thought back to a time when they were younger, they were climbing on the jungle gym as they mothers chatted in the distance.

"Tell me Shuichi, would you ever lie to me?"

"Why would you ask a question like that?"

"Because I don't like liars and I will know if you are!"

"Well…have I lied to you yet?"

"Well, no, it's why I was asking."

"I would never lie to you."

"Okay, then are you afraid of me?" she remembered how he looked at her then, those soft green eyes so confused and yet so wise, even at six.

"Why would I be afraid?"

"Because of what I am, aren't you afraid I would hurt you?"

"Friends don't hurt their friends, so if you ever hurt me then it would mean we aren't friends right?"

"I guess that's true."

"Would you ever hurt me, on purpose of course?"

"No never."

"Then that's your answer, I can't be your friend if I'm afraid of you and you wouldn't be my friend if you were to hurt me. Since neither of us want to do either then we have nothing to worry about." They sat at the top together and she would never erase his smile from her memory as he put her mind at ease.

"Best friends forever?"

"And ever." She snapped back and just like that the fight was over. _Dammit, not again_. She rushed over to join everyone else, and found he was hurt which sent her in a mild panic that she refused to show on the outside. But one thing remained, she was feeling a lot of conflict and the more that was added to her conscience, the more trapped she felt she had to talk to him but the question was how.

They continued to walk, moving on from the chamber of the stone beast and she once again let herself slip alongside him, the closeness of him eased her yet the silence tormented her; what was she supposed to say?

"You should really let me take a look at that." He looked at her almost surprised and she again felt guilt. Did he really think she stopped caring because she was angry with him?

"No…it will be fine, I have herbs that can assist in healing."

"Oh…Hey, K?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you just tell me? I would have kept your secret like you keep mine. I would have helped you with all of this stuff. I don't understand why for our whole lives you kept this from me."

"Hello my name is Shuichi Minamino, I have the spirit of a demon fox inside of me, want to share a juice box?" They both chuckled at that.

"Okay I can see that but I feel like you couldn't trust me, like I wasn't good enough to carry your secret ya know?" The group stopped to rest and the two sat against a wall just out of earshot of the others.

"I know you felt betrayed, I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It wasn't my intention to make you feel inadequate; I only wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?"

"This is a lifestyle that is a little new, but you can see that it isn't without its hazards. I didn't want you to be a part of that, I wanted you to lead a somewhat ordinary life."

"Did you forget who I am? I strive for unique."

"Indeed you do. I'm sorry Siera, can you forgive me?"

"I already have, I've missed this." She rested her head on his shoulder as he worked to patch his wound. It had been months since she had a conversation that didn't end with her yelling at him. Sometimes she wondered just why it was he put up with her. Those friends he had made seemed special, maybe she could use this whole experience to try to get to know them as well. she knew deep down she was possessive of him, territorial to be exact and she knew if she were to really be his best friend forever then it was vital that she loosen her grip on him.

"I told your mother that you would be at the microbiology presentation our teacher is giving in the next town. That is going to be going on for the next few days, I figured that would buy some time."

"I appreciate that." They sat in silence for a long moment and she let her fears creep back.

"Best friends forever?" He always knew how to lift her spirits.

"And ever."


	3. Chapter 3

3

She sat in silence as she rested her head on his shoulder, taking in the scent of him as her previous fears melted away. She listed to the others talk and argue amongst themselves and wondered if these were the type of people she could be friends with. They would understand and accept what she was; she wouldn't have to pretend to be a meek little schoolgirl. She could be herself just as Zoie said; but the question was would they like that self?

"Do you think they will like me?"

"They don't even know you, you can't make any conclusion until you introduce yourself."

"They think I'm some weak little girl, I hear it; how dare they."

"Siera; you better behave yourself. You have nothing to prove to anyone; Just let them get to know you for who you are."

"Okay…" K sighed, he knew her well enough to know that she was going to do the exact opposite. But she decided to be subtle; she would begin quietly and turn it up every so often and see who would cave in first. Turns out it would be Hiei.

"Would you turn off that infernal garbage before I silence you permanently?"

"You heard that too? I was wondering where that music was coming from, I couldn't hear myself think and I don't remember anyone bringing a whole sound system in their pockets." Kuwabara attempted to clean his ears as though it would solve the problem; it was once of her favorite songs, she didn't see what was wrong. Maybe they didn't like hip-hop. She could hear K sigh as they stared at her in mild agitation as she just stared back and smiled.

"That's exactly what I was thinking, so either you have a stereo shoved up where the sun don't shine or you aren't human."

"You got me! You don't like it? It's one of my favorite songs, or maybe your more of a classical group." She switched it up to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and from their grimaces it wasn't right either.

"I'm warning you girl; don't give me a reason to cut your throat!" She stood brushing off her skirt as she stepped forward still smiling.

"What's the matter Hiei, you don't like a little music? Or is it that you can't control what's playing in your own mind? Does a little classical anger you or is it the lack of control over your own thoughts what has you so triggered?" Hiei drew his sword and lunged but in an instant he found himself in a vast snowy field. He could feel the wind whipping his face and the snow crunch under his feet. That irritating girl smiled, so satisfied.

"Where did you take me girl!?"

"First of all I have a name, its Siera and when you address me you will call me by it. And nowhere, I just wanted to get to know you, play just a little bit." Her eyes turned from a deep brown to an icy blue as she stared deeply into his; she approached slowly, almost menacingly yet he couldn't will himself to strike, his hands moved fine, but he couldn't swing his sword what in the hell was going on?

"I see…pain, anger…so much anger. I see a need to be self-reliant; I can relate to that, you keep everyone at a distance because you don't want to stay in one place."

"Humph, very perceptive, but I don't have time for a two bit fortune teller now release me!"

"But aren't you going to tell me about _her_?"

"Her who?!" She knew she had him now.

"Gee I don't know, the her you have been looking for, or maybe the her that abandoned you, or the her that loved you but you never had the chance to love back? Maybe we can start with the her that prompted you to get the implant."

"You shut your mouth! You don't know anything!"

"I know you're hurting, looking for a purpose; wondering why it is so hard to accept you. But then you know why, you're damaged, evil, loathsome and bloodthirsty, you destroy everything you touch and so it is better for you to be alone. Not to keep them safe but for your own sake, you don't want to bring someone in so that they could see just how foul you are and turn tail. You can only take abandon and banishment so many times before it drives you completely insane. But then maybe it is your destiny, to be alone, to be hated and discarded; I mean if your whole village believed it then it must be true right." He couldn't take anymore it took all he had to lunge at her and swing his sword across her throat. He watched the blood pour down her chest and stain the white snow, but still she smiled.

"I get it Hiei, you are angry not because of what I said but because it's the very things you say to yourself. I know what it is like to feel abandoned, to feel unwanted. But one thing you must realize is that the hatred will only keep you prisoner, the sooner you find your own way, away from the anger you can truly be free."

"Hiei what are you doing?!" Yusuke yelled across the room as Hiei stared at her wide-eyed and panting. He quickly backed away from her, more disturbed of the recent event than he was ever willing to let on. He swore he killed her, he felt her blood spatter. How intricate was her little mind game?

"Kurama, you mind telling me how much time just past?" He knew what he meant, how long has she had him in her grasp.

"It had only been a few seconds." He was stunned for a moment, she stood there and smiled slyly as she pulled his sheathed sword from behind her back and tossed it to him. That's when he understood, he couldn't move or strike her because she had disarmed him long before it had even started. The kill was only part of her game, she had always been in control; and he would rather die than admit it but it frightened him.

"Whoa, I watched the whole thing and I never saw her take it, that's really weird."

"Yeah all she did was hum some weird tune and you came at her like you were going to strike her. When did she take his sword?"

"Hiei, what did she do?" Why did Kurama sound so chiding towards her, she was just having a little fun. She puckered her bottom lip and cocked her head as she asked in a teasing tone.

"Yes Hiei, what did I do?" He huffed as he turned away. She established her place, she would be damned if they considered her some weakling, she was just as tough as the rest of them and she would make them understand.

"Well then, that was pretty weird but we still don't understand just who or really what you are."

"My name is Siera Mitsiku I go to school with…K. we've been besties for as long as I can remember. I don't eat people or destroy stub, I just go to school and pass classes like a good girl, except when once in a while I happen across a demon who wants o play of course."

"I'm sure you make your parents really proud."

"Hmm, well I wouldn't know since they've been dead since I was seven." They gasped then, she was surprised herself to had told them, no one but Shuichi knew about it.

"Aw man, I'm really sorry about that; I can imagine how hard that must be. It's been my sis and I for a while now and it isn't easy on either of us at all."

"Yeah…well it's just me and Zoie of course."

"How did they die?" a few horrifying flashed flew across her eyes that nearly drove her into another one of her infamous frenzies but this time she willed herself to keep it together, she was finally making friends.

"There…was an earthquake; our building collapsed." Zoie nudged her hand and she began to stroke him, trying desperately to keep her breath steady.

"Hey it's alright, you got us now. And you must be pretty ballsy to survive all by yourself for years so you'll fit right in."

"Well I wasn't all by myself I had Shuichi…" she felt his hand slip into hers and her flashes ended. She sighed and looked backward to him who looked at her with caring eyes. He knew just how hard this was.

"Oh I see what's going on here ha ha, no wonder you were so miffed Kurama was off battling demons behind your back." Kuwabara chortled and Yusuke smiled as she felt the combination of indignation and embarrassment.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean come on it's obvious, I see it in your spirit energy, anytime he's within thirty feet of you it changes, becomes calmer or something. It's obvious you're in love with him!" The rage was too much for her as she grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, Yusuke moved to grab her but was flung backward.

"Take it back, take it back right now YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Okay I'm sorry I take it back, it was a mistake I didn't mean it. I was just joking nothing to get worked up over!" She released him and he fell to his knees coughing. Damn so much for making friends I went and pissed everyone off.

"You guys really have to excuse her, she can be a real bitch at times." Kurama laughed and it seemed to ease the tension.

"Yeah you're lucky she didn't rip your face off. But the way you nearly pissed yourself she probably took pity on you! What's wrong going to let a little girl intimidate you?"

"Look I don't hit girls that isn't what a man does; doesn't make her stronger than me!"

"Kuwabara…" she choked as she looked away, how many times does she need to apologize in one day?

"I get it, I overstepped, I'm sorry." _You obviously don't want to talk about it, and even if it were true, you don't want him to know. I didn't mean any harm, friends have disagreements but they don't let that ruin the relationship, you and me are still_ _cool_. He wasn't angry at her and he even used his own thoughts to communicate it know she would read them. She felt such a warm sensation in her chest from his sincerity she leapt forward, embracing him warmly. After a few moments it had become too awkwards and she found herself slapping him.

"You really are a nice person; I like you." She trotted away leaving them all a little stunned silent.

"Your friend is a little crazy!"

"She is just not used to being natural around others; she truly just doesn't know how to act. Once she lets her guard down she will be much better. She can be tenacious, impulsive, erratic and aggressive but she is loyal without shadow of a doubt and very protective of those she cares for. You find her antagonizing now but this is her when she likes you, she is not someone you want to be on the wrong side of mark my words."

"Yeah about that, why did you call her a bitch, I thought for sure she was going to punch you next or something."

"Just a little inside joke, you'll see soon enough why it's unwise to mess with the daughter of Korrin."

"Korrin? Ha, that figures."

"You heard of her Hiei?"

"I've heard enough stories, they used to call her the Siren Witch, the Man Eater or simply the Enchantress. She would take the form of a black panther and stay hidden from sight until she gathered what information she needed to make her next robber and kill. I heard she was a bandit back in the day, ran with quite an infamous crowd if I may add. She wasn't anyone to mess with either, some said she could stop a man's heart with a look and bring an army to her beck and call with the sound of her voice."

"That sounds…intense."

"Hmph not that it does her any good now, pretty ironic she gets crushed by a building when she could once destroy whole cities in mere minutes. Makes you wonder if either Korrin the Enchantress was really what the stories told or there is something off about her story." Hiei kept on without another word, leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara confused and intrigued at the strange new girl they unwittingly let join their group.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ok look I'm not saying she isn't a good person, I'm sure somewhere in her mind she's awesome. But you got to admit the girl is a loon." The guys walked on feeling on edge about their recent encounter with Siera. Last they had seen of her she had run along and weren't taking their time in finding out about her.

"Look Kurama, you two have been friends your whole lives right?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me what her deal is?! One minute she's all quiet then she's all perky and the next she gives me this weird chill in my spine. Is she someone who can be trusted, or do we have to fight her too?" Zoie and Kurama looked at each other unsure where to even begin.

"She is trustworthy, she can be antagonizing but she doesn't mean any real harm. She is the most loyal, kindhearted, passionate girl I've met in this world. You just have to give her time to adjust, you are new to her as well and she doesn't quite know how to be herself around strangers."

"Did you forget, the girl is quite fond of her mind games, how do you know she isn't simply fooling you? She would have taken my sword and killed everyone with none the wiser and yet you are telling me to put my trust in her?"

"Yes he is, because think about it; she took your sword and took your mind to wherever it was she wanted, probably grilled you for your weak points got you to react in time to let you know that you had as about as much control over the whole situation as a fly has when it's stuck on a frogs tongue. If she really wanted to cause you harm, then why didn't she while you were unaware of her ability? Why would she give you the upper hand in knowing more about her if she truly wanted to do you in?" Hiei didn't answer but simply looked away angry that he was made vulnerable by a half-breed.

"And Kuwabara, she has proven that she could kick your ass without much effort not once but twice. If she really wanted to hurt you, she would have done so, you don't even have a scratch.

"Well, yeah that's true, I guess. And hey she isn't stronger than me okay, I don't fight girls that isn't right! Excuse me for being a man."

"Right…let me tell you something about her, you are going to piss her off one day and you can either be manly or you can man up and defend yourself because when she knocks you out of your shoes I don't want you to look at me like a dummy thinking I'm going to do something about it because that will be the second time you look like a bitch." Yusuke didn't bother to muffle his guffaw.

"And just what is it you do anyway? Not that I care, I just find it odd that a half-breed would lower herself more in listening to a hellhound."

"A hellhound?! He looks like a normal dog to me!"

"Yes, because all dogs talk, you just have to know the password to get us to open up." Kuwabara muttered under his breath, once again made to look like a fool.

"Most human parents get their kids a puppy for entertainment or even to be a companion. Korrin assigned me to be her guardian. She used Siera's blood and conducted some sort of binding ritual on me. It is like a contract that's embedded in my very soul; I can never leave her side, I can never harm her and the only way to break the bind is if I die."

"So what you're saying is that you're some kind of babysitter slave?"

"I personally wouldn't call it that; I have watched over her since she was an infant. She spoils me really, all the fattening food I can manage, long walks, great brushings and the cuddles aren't half bad either. She respects my opinion and values my word; like I'm not a pet or a slave but an adviser and a friend. I know she can be a bit much, but she is a good girl. I know deep in my heart she loves me as I do her."

"But even still, between what happened with Hiei and the chokeslam she gave Kuwabara, I would like to know about more than the long walks and belly rubs." Zoie chuckled and looked down the long dark hall before continuing.

"Her mother is Korrin as I've said before. Korrin had many abilities but they all mostly center around the mind. You control the mind, you control the individual. She could summon demons of any shapes and sizes with the sound of her voice, but those who were unlucky and weak enough to realize you don't need to even hear it to succumb. She has a combination of telekinetic and telepathic abilities that she has mastered over centuries of course her daughter inherited those abilities but she isn't anywhere as advanced as her mother was, but she was still able to fling Yusuke aside like a bug without much thought and took Hiei somewhere that I'm guessing wasn't his happy place and if she is a newbie with that kind of power can you wrap your mind around what her mother could do? She could enslave every demon there was if she wanted to but no she liked to play bandits. I suppose suppressing herself made her feel alive, the thought of getting caught thrilled her."

"But I'm trailing, that girl has so much power and not a clear idea how to use it, it's like putting a six-year-old behind the wheel of a sports car."

"You've said all of that and none of it reassured me that she's not going to kill us!"

"Because to understand that you have to _know her_; above all else she is loyal, and kind hearted." "Take it like this, Kurama knew her darn near her whole life but kept this big secret from her. She was hurt, betrayed, she felt used and inadequate. And those are things a wise person would never make her feel." Zoie glared at Kurama who laughed nervously.

"But, and I bet my life on it, that girl would slit anyone's throat before they had the chance to even think of hurting him. The point is she is a good person, just confused. She is an orphaned female teenaged half-demon, and once you wrap your minds around that you will feel for her. And feel for me too because I have to deal with her crazy ass."

"I suppose that makes sense I mean she was so excited that I wasn't mad at her, like she really wanted us to be her friends but at the same time she doesn't want to be subordinate to anyone."

"Ah yes…that's just a part of her personality, nothing to do with her mom at all. Korrin was a loner type she relied on herself and if it served her purpose, she had compatriots to serve their purpose for her. Siera? Nope, she craves companionship, she loves interacting, but she has to be number one. She wants to be the alpha always, and will put all contenders in the place they belong, which I gather is why she messed with Hiei, she wanted to let it be known she wasn't someone to play around with."

"But why would she mess with him and not us, seems kind of unfair she wouldn't pick on someone her own size."

"Maybe you didn't learn this imbecile, but the number one rule in intimidation is to take out the biggest challenger."

"Oh I get it, like you take out the ring leader and the flunkies follow."

"Or run away like babies…hey WAIT, is she saying we're a couple of flunkies?!"

"Well I wasn't joking when I said Kurama and I were babysitting; it seems even she knew the truth." They stopped when the sound of rustling starting to become louder. She had climbed up the thirty foot wall and onto a narrow ledge, walking along as aimlessly as a cat would as though simply waiting for them to catch up.

"It's about time, I was getting bored." She leapt from the staggering height with ease holding her shoes in her hand. On the outside she was calm and cool but deep down she was afraid.

"Listen…Kuwabara, there is something about you….and this seems a little weird for me but."

"You want to proclaim your love for me?"

"uhhh…no. I want to make you part of my pack."

"Oh is that some kind initiation?"

"Well sort of, it's sort of a binding of blood thing. Like once we bond be are part of the pack, even in disagreements or even falling outs we will be connected." She fidgeted as she looked at him. She had wrongly assaulted him more than once when he had been nothing but kind to her, she had seen goodness in him and it touched her, she couldn't let an opportunity to have someone like him be a real friend slip away.

"I'm not going to catch something am I?!"

"No, just…first do you want to be my friend, I need an honest answer."

"But didn't you already get the answer when you asked me that?" she smiled at that.

"Give me your hand," she used her thumb to put a small cut in his palm and did the same to her own before shaking his hand they both felt a tingling sensation and then she let go. Kuwabara looked at his hand in confusion.

"Hey what is that?!" In place of the wound a scar in the shape of a shield lay positioned in the middle of his hand.

"The shield…interesting, I thought as much."

"What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure, but a shield means protection, it means I should feel safe with you."

"You can always feel safe with me."

"Just stop, it's not happening." She looked to the others and smiled as she met Kurama's eyes, she made a friend today and he was proud of her.

"I've only done this with one other person." She held the side of her hand up and showed them an odd symbol.

"In Chinese culture there is this belief that everything is met with a complementary opposite. Yin and yang, positive and negative, light and dark etc. I have yin, feminine, dark and nurturing etc." She walked away without any more explanation, and the others walked on. Kurama watched her walk away with a smile. He remembered vividly the moment they had done the same thing, they were at the part on the monkey bars it was such a bright sunny day then.

"Since neither of us want to do either than we have nothing to worry about." The way she smiled at him was infectious, he knew even then that she would never hurt him and he in turn trusted her fully the fact that she was afraid he didn't was laughable.

"Give me your hand." He gave it to her without hesitation and she held it in hers for several moments as though she were having second thoughts.

"Best friends forever?"

"And ever." She cut her own hand and a small amount of blood pooled in her palm.

I heard my mother talk of this before, it is called blood binding, we mix our blood and we are forever bound. But you have to be willing." He remembered the knot he felt in his stomach, what did this really mean, would she then know everything? But as he looked into her brown eyes he knew that refusing her this opportunity would hurt her, but more so than the truth? He gave her his hand and she pricked it and for several minutes they held hands. She looked at her hand and giggled and he could help but like how it sounded.

"Look our little girl is finally growing up."

"Yeah, she is."

"You jealous?"

"Of what?"

"Of her making friends, you won't be her sole focus anymore."

"I never said I particularly enjoyed it being the object of her fixation, I just want her to be happy but no matter what happens I'll be there for her. That is what best friends are for, to make each other happy and to be there for them." Kurama looked at his right hand brushing his finger across the yang symbol embedded in his palm.

"Yeah that is true, still didn't answer me, but you do speak the truth."

"We don't have time to discuss this, there is a whole city in danger."

"Right of course, but some day you have to tell her."

"I don't have to tell her anything."


	5. Chapter 5

5

"Come on Kuwabara don't just swing your sword around like an idiot come up with a strategy!"

"Shut it Urameshi, I'm trying to concentrate here!" Kuwabara battled the white tiger, if that was even proper to call it. She looked on concerned as well as agitated, why would he come here if he didn't know how to fight? How to gauge his opponent's movements or strategize an assault? There were countless who depended on their success and yet he was flailing like a fish out of water.

"Were you born this stupid or were you dropped on your head idiot?!" She shouted at him, but she knew just what to do, she searched until she found the right bait. He saw a flash of a dark wolf with blue eyes and long white fangs flashed in a snarl, it caused him to trip which inadvertently saved his head from be ripped clean off by one of the strange tiger creatures.

"Ahhh! Where did it go, which way did it go?!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"The wolf, there was a big black wolf!" Kurama looked her way but she kept her eyes on Kuwabara, it had to go just right.

"What are you planning?! He could be killed!"

"Exactly, which is why I need to focus."

"Kuwabara stumbled to his feet getting ready for another attack, when he saw his little kitten Eikitchi walking across the stone way. _Now I know I'm losing my marbles, I know I left her home._ Then to his horror the large black animal snapped its jaws around the fragile kitten breaking its back instantly. The vicious monster raised his head, the blood from the poor kitten spilling from its mouth and onto the ground.

"YOU MONSTER!' He plunged his sword into one of Byakko's creatures and in his rage slashed the head of another as he quickly pulled it out. She walked forward bold and threatening making sure he would see her as he fought.

"Hurry the hell up, I'm bored and this is taking forever!"

"Don't you think I'm trying! You know what, some friend you are, you aren't very supportive!"

"Fine! Whatever, go ahead and die, then we will go on and defeat these beasts ourselves and go home! I'm freaking starving, I think Zoie could really go for some kitty stew." Her cruel smile drew gasps.

"Oh yeah, he'll I would go for some Eikitchi Fricassee actually." Zoie joined in with a laugh.

"_YOU STUPID DOG BETTER NOT TOUCH MY CAT_!'

"_THEN YOU BETTER GO KICK HIS ASS_!" Kuwabara then charged with a boost of energy, fighting remotely better to say the least.

"You're diabolical."

"But you love Me." she smiled sweetly at her childhood companion, who met her with a smirk. They both knew she helped him, even if it was momentarily and in an unorthodox way. She remembered when she had to be treated the same.

"Owww, Zoie that hurts!"

"It's a bite, it's supposed to hurt!"

"I thought you weren't supposed to hurt me!"

"Believe me child, I'm saving your life, you have to learn to let out that anger and more importantly now that you are alone you have to learn to fight, I cannot be everywhere." Blood poured down her arm and she wanted more than anything to cry, but she had stifled her tears months ago when her parents died and in their place rage had been filling her heart ever since. Zoie lunged again and this time she was quick to dodge left only for him to use his tail and slap her hard to the ground.

"You have to always watch who you are fighting, it's just as Korrin had always said; the first step in defeat is underestimating your opponent."

"STOP SAYING HER NAME!" She felt something in that moment a power she had only felt once before, she felt it in her chest first and then it spread to the rest of her body and Zoie took this time to attack her while she was distracted and she put her hands forward as though to brace but instead shot her energy in a decent sized burst and took out several large trees and Zoie too if he hadn't dodged it. She stood there for several moments confused and afraid of what she had done.

"Good, very good. Now tell me what you are feeling, what are your senses telling you?"

"Um, I'm afraid, but I hear…a squirrel running up the tree directly behind me, I hear the heartbeats of several deer a ways back, I can smell…the water…rain coming from about two miles from here and the burned wood of the fallen trees. But most of all I feel all of their life forces, I can feel their fear that I caused, each aura is different."

"Very good, your senses are open." This time he attacked much more quickly and without warning only to be violently struck in the ribs, flinging him aside.

"Good girl, that was very good, I think you broke a few."

"Zoie I don't understand the point of this, can't I just use my mind?"

"You cannot simply rely on one skill; as soon as your enemy knows of it they will strategize a way around it and then what will you do? The more capable you are in defending yourself the better off you will be. So you have to be strong physically as well as mentally. Use your senses, watch your opponent, and be in control of every part of your body including your mind. I know you are only in the first grade, but you have demon blood in your veins and every other demon that smells it will be coming for you, they don't have the fear of your mother keeping them at bay anymore and you have to be prepared. For her sake you have to survive, or else everything was for nothing." She nodded, a tear threatening to escape her eye.

"Now I want you to focus; there is a large rock on your seven I do not want you to look at it, but I want you to move it counterclockwise slowly. You have to learn to control your power down to the most minute of movements, if you cause a building to fall I want every pebble to fall where you intend it."

"Dammit I have to stop doing that."

"Welcome back, where'd you go?"

"The eastside forest again."

"Good, then maybe you can use that refresher to help us along this mission."

"What did I miss?"

"He's still fighting the tiger, but it doesn't look good, I think he's going to leap to him, but I doubt he can even make it." She gasped as he took his leap to his possible demise. A loud splash of the lava below and everyone was at a loss of breath and words.

"Is…is he..?" Yusuke stammered unwilling to finish the sentence.

"Hey, can somebody help me!"

"Kuwabara?"

"He's caught on the rock!"

"Gee…how fortunate." The guys jumped to his position to figure out how to get him up and she let out a small sigh.

"You ok?"

"Yes…every pebble is in its place"

"That's my girl."


	6. Chapter 6

6

"Hiei that was really amazing how you handled Seriyu, I mean sixteen times is a great feat, and I know that with the way you train you will only get faster." She tried to make some sort of amends with him, as the last they spoke he wasn't too happy with her. He turned at her with anger in his eyes but she looked back at him with a combination of apologetic and hostile; he knew if needed be she would fight but she wanted to make peace.

"Do you really think that you can invade my mind and then hope to gain some sort of alliance because you want it?"

"Believe me Hiei, if I truly wanted you I would have you, we already made that clear. The fact of the matter is I am simply calling a truce, I mean no harm to you, and whatever you feel towards me is irrelevant simply because I don't give a shit." He chuckled at that.

"But I am not going to walk alongside you with an air of hostility, so we don't have to be friends but we can agree to not be enemies." He thought about this, and wondered just what other powers were at her disposal until he knew of her capabilities completely it wouldn't hurt to form an alliance, but he would keep his distance. Once he learned how he would put her down like the dog she is.

"Just stay out of my head and we have no problems."

"Stay off my nerves and I'll stay out of your head." Her mischievous smile interested him; she was a paradox of sorts and as much as he wanted revenge for making him look like a fool he was more curious as to what she was truly capable of.

The group continued their way to the lair of the Suzaku for the final battle when a shadow flew over them. Kuwabara was flung to the ground dozens of deep scratches on his chest.

"Ahh! What the heck was that? He was suddenly taken by the hair and dragged along the floor screaming. They couldn't see the attacker, and didn't know where to even begin to strike. Siera took deep breaths as she closed her eyes.

"Focus, open your senses…" Zoie muttered for her to hear. Suddenly a large amount of energy pulsated through the room knocking the demon on its back and forcing it to show itself. She seemed like some sort of feline. She was black and white with very long sharp claws and a long tail. She leered at Siera with piercing yellow eyes and hissed.

"Geez, it would be a cat."

"You have the gall to show disgust toward me when I can smell your half-breed blood from here"

"Funny, the only thing I smell is the overgrowth of yeast you have in your fur darling."

"You're so damn bold, come over and say that in front of me!" She took several steps forward mindful not to rush too close that she may hurt Kuwabara again.

"You look like an old rag my grandmother used to dust the furniture, you smell like a pair of old socks and your claws couldn't cut butter on a hot day. Now you can either let my friend go or I make you regret the day you met me!"

"Ignorant little bitch I'll kill you and all your friends, starting this this one!" She slid a claw down Kuwabara's cheek cutting it, he was much too tired after the battle to defend properly; it wasn't fair and it pissed her off. It took just a moment for her to reach the feline and punch her square in the jaw, sending her flying against the adjacent wall.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm ok, I'm use to minor cat scratches but these will take a while to heal."

"You go get out of the way, I got this."

"Wait a minute, you can't-" she shoved him out of the way as the assailant lunged with claws out. Siera ducked backwards as though in a game of limbo using her right foot to kick her in the abdomen, again sending her flying.

"She needs to get out of there she can get herself hurt!"

"Don't underestimate her Yusuke, as I've said there is more to her than meets the eye."

"Where did you go Kitty? Can I call you kitty? I figure I should call you something if I'm going to kick your ass, wouldn't be cordial to just say 'hey you' when I'm punching you." Kitty came out in a flash this time they were exchanging powerful blows before knocking each other backward. Kitty lunged while Siera was off balance landing a powerful swipe of her claws hurling her into the left wall.

"Did you see the way she fell?!"

"Is she okay?!"

"We have to get her out!"

"Give her a chance…She can do it." Zoie stared, his own heart racing in his chest. It took several moments before she got up and came back out to everyone's relief.

"That was a doozy, bet you five you won't do that again." This time it was Siera who ran headlong to the feline and they collided with a powerful thud and ripping sound before she skipped along the cobblestone ground like a ragdoll. She laid motionless as blood pooled around her body."

"No!"

"Is she dead?!" To their surprise Kurama began to chuckle to himself and Hiei as well.

"I fail to see what's funny about any of this, your friend is over there hurt bad!"

"Look closer Yusuke, I think you will find all is well."

"What?"

"I think your friend is delirious detective, as you can see I delivered a fatal blow right to her heart, there is no way she is alive." A giggle sounded in the room, quiet at first but then louder . Siera stood a cheesy and satisfied grin on her face and covered in blood.

"You! How did you survive I struck you right…" She lifted her hand to point and found that it wasn't there. Her arm had been ripped off just below the elbow but with the adrenaline she didn't feel it.

"Ha ha, you should see your face! 'Hey I killed you I know I did, oh no, my arm is gone what am I going to do!' Ha stupid, your moves are predictable, you always strike left. And now that I know my way around it you are defenseless. I'm sorry, what did you think I meant when I bet you five?"

"I don't understand…the way she fell.."

"Was all theatrics I'm afraid just as the demon reached her arm out to strike Siera snapped it and then ripped it off as she threw herself backward into her fall."

"But why?"

"Another one of her mind games, the cat obviously thought she struck a final blow, she didn't eve feel her own bones break. She tricked her and even added the fall and fake death to lull her further into a false sense of security. The blood isn't even her own, she was in control from the moment the attack started."

"Careful Hiei you almost sound impressed"

"I'm just glad that Kurama and I aren't the only competent ones in battle, now I wish she would just finish the job already, she's too busy playing games."

"He isn't wrong, she could have used her telekinesis and simply snapped her neck while she had Kuwabara, or at any point for that matter."

"Why didn't she?"

"Because she isn't a one trick pony, she is proving something to you and herself by using hand to hand combat. Anyone can simply stop a person's heart or break their neck with a thought but it takes real skill to do so with your bare hands using strategy and cunning. The kitty had plenty of tricks but one real attack, not that she has been declawed she has to find another. This is what I taught her."

"Well…I mean I wouldn't say anybody…I mean I don't know a lot of people who can do that." Kuwabara scratched his head confused.

"Stupid girl, you think you bested me, you are going to die here today."

"You see, this is why I don't dig cats, they are so self-entitled, they feel the world is to be handed to them, they bully and kill for no reason and it pisses me off."

"No reason?! He killed Bakkyo , he deserves to be ripped apart!" She slapped her hard and kitty leapt back camouflaging before coming at her again, there was a small flash and a collective gasp. Kitty lay limp in the jaws of a huge black wolf; it stood about four feet at the shoulders and was solid black with menacing blue eyes. The animal dragged the limp body to the group, droping it at their feet like a trophy staring at Kuwabara as he trembled.

"That's the wolf I saw, is this real or a mind game?"

"No it's real, Korrin would turn to a panther, Siera as I said was much more social, family oriented and loyal."

"Like a wolf." Kitty coughed up blood as she struggled to breathe the wolf pressed a massive paw onto her back.

"Apologize."

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes, she communicating telepathically" Long bloody teeth flashed in a snarl by kitty's face and she began to whimper, it would only take one bite to the neck to finish her but she needed something first.

"If you want to die quickly I suggest you apologize for causing a delay and injuring my friend. This is my pack, you mess with my pack, and you regret the day."

"Please…please stop, don't hurt me anymore please!" She pressed harder, snarling in her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to waste your time, just please tell her to let me go, I'm sorry I hurt you, please make her stop!"

"I accept her apology now will you-" just like that she bit her neck, severing her spinal cord it was quick and painless.

"Why did you do that?"

"She would have bled out anyway, she showed mercy this way." In a matter of moments she changed back, Zoie grabbed her clothes and se quickly dressed.

"wait how did you take off your clothes so quick?"

"Same way I took her arm, _slight_ of hand." She walked on ahead Kurama running up to her and taking her hand.

"Let me look at that." she hadn't noticed the long deep slashes on her shoulder and chest he worked to patch them as she looked at him.

"Did I do okay?"

"Your technique was haphazard and your spent too much time to finish the job at hand. But you did what you intended and taught her a lesson."

"Oh…" he looked her in the eye, concern on his face.

"This could have been much worse; you could have been seriously hurt."

"Says the guy who took on a rock monster, I didn't even know you could fight before then. All this time you didn't need me at all I was just.." He took her by the chin to make her look at him again.

"You were just my best friend. And don't read too much into it, you enjoy protecting me just as much as I liked being protected. Would you have learned what you have in battle if I had done it all back then?"

"Maybe, I wouldn't feel bad for kicking your ass in that case." She socked him in the shoulder and he laughed.

"Maybe one day soon we can spar, I could always use more pointers."

I would be happy to train you; your stance is a bit sloppy."

"At least I don't walk around prepared to be a flower girl at a wedding at all times!"

"You're just jealous because I smell sweet while you stink of wet dog."

"Oh you're so bold to insult me, say that to my face instead of walking away! You're lucky I don't feel like biting anyone else today!"

"Good, I despise rabies shots."

"You want to talk about shots, I got your shots!" she waved her fist at him as she ran to catch up to him.

"Are they fighting or playing?"

"I really can't tell, but they both seem at ease so I guess it's just them having fun. I couldn't tell it at first because they seem like opposites ya know, she's like really out there and loud and he's more calm and reserved but it's like they complement each other" Yusuke was laughing as Kuwabara was making his observation and it ticked him off.

"What's so funny Urameshi? I was having a real deep thing going and you ruined it!" Kuwabara grabbed him by the shirt and he doubled over to catch his breath.

"I just got what Kurama said, 'she can be a real bitch sometimes.'" Kuwabara thought a moment and started to giggle.

"Oh because she's a…oh that's funny!"

"I'm surrounded by idiots." Hiei grimaced as they finally moved on to reach their final battle


	7. Chapter 7

7

Siera found herself tapping her pencil on her desk as she stared out the window. The teacher went on about algebraic equations and how to properly solve them but her mind wasn't on math but more on the events that had happened weeks prior, they had all fought hard and Yusuke was victorious. The human world was safe, and she made new friends so things could now go back to normal. But then, they really couldn't go back to normal, not after a feat like that.

"What do you mean? Why can't I help you guys I've proven that I can be useful!"

"This is dangerous, this kind of work is no place for you. I want you to go back to school and pretend you never knew of this."

"And just what are you going to do?! Keep fighting for the greater good while Shiori thinks you're doing chemistry labs?! I supposed I'm supposed to keep covering for you too!"

"I never asked you to do that."

"Friends don't have to ask for things like that, and they don't brush them aside so that they can live their secret life in peace!"

"That isn't what this is about!"

"Then tell me what it is about?!" Kurama looked at her before taking a breath.

"I want you safe, I want you to study and get into a good school."

"Did we forget that we agreed on an A- to B+ average? Too high on the charts and they will want to move me up, or at the very least call my dead parents to congratulate them on having such a smart child? There they will find the truth and have me taken into protective services with people I don't know? Wasn't the plan to coast on the border until high school when I can legally emancipate myself and not have to worry about it? Because if I had the chance, I can make top marks just like you and Kaito so don't patronize me by saying you want me to study!" He chuckled, too wickedly smart for her own good. She always had been, and he liked that about her, the fact that she wanted to do her absolute best and couldn't insulted her. But she was right, they had to stick to the plan for now, just a couple more years and she could be free.

"On that subject the teachers are starting to notice your scores, they have all been 91% exactly on all of your subjects, no more no less you have to change it up."

"Oh sorry, I'll make sure to leave out some more commas on my book reports and pretend I don't know the difference between an artery and a femur for my next biology quiz, anything else, or should I tank gym next too, maybe I can forget how to use a jump rope!"

"Ha, no I believe the former would suffice." Damn him and that smirk, she couldn't stay angry at him when he looked at her that way. She knew he was putting her safety first but it wasn't fair, why couldn't she help? Why couldn't she be of use, there had to be more to her life than simply living under the radar, waiting until she was old enough to be alone and smiling as people insult her intelligence because she had to literally play dumb.

It wasn't that her classmates saw her as stupid but that hey enjoy the moments she can act the part. True she would explain an answer totally wrong on purpose but sound so sure in doing so that the class could erupt with laughter and then there were other days when they expect just that and even the teacher is blown away and made to look like the fool. She believed that they enjoyed the set-up, 'what will she say today?' They would ask themselves as she stares bored out the window. 'Will she be the fool or the instructor?' But to their disappointment she wasn't there for their enjoyment and she had no desire to be so for the simple fact that she secretly despised them. They take their simple lives for granted; they had parents to love them. They didn't have to learn how to take care of themselves, to pay bills and live under the radar. They don't have to lie to their best friend's mother various nights per week about the good meal her mother is cooking and why she can't stay and eat theirs while in reality the only thing she eats that night is anger and resentment.

"Listen to me, in case of an extended absence, Korrin had left this for you. In this vault is 17.2 million yen, this is for your daily expenses until you come of age to make your own money. This will cover your living expenses, food, clothing and health needs for the next ten years. You are to let no one know you have this, don't bring anyone to this location, you are to come here the same time each month to only gather your monthly needs no more and always take the route I marked for you to ensure you aren't followed.".

"I understand." Zoie brought her to the vault just days after the incident; just like that she had to learn to care for herself while the other girls complained that they had to go to bed at certain time and didn't get the right hairclip to match an outfit. What simplistic twits

"Miss Mitsiku, can you tell us how to solve this or is there something much more interesting outside?" The class giggled, and the many things she wanted to say to all of them ran through her head.

"To be honest Mr. Nakamura the blossoms on the trees are much prettier than the numbers on your board but I will try my best to keep my attention on your bland equation." Her quip was met with the theatrical oohs. _Reel it back girl going to the principal gets you a call home._

"Solve the equation! 2(x²+10) = 9x +16. Solve for x" She walked up the board taking the chalk from his hand.

"First you have to simplify the statement by completing what is in the parentheses making the equation 2x²+20=9x+16. You will then subtract 9x+16 from both sides of the equation making it 2x²-9x+4.=0. You then factor the left side (2x-1) (x-4) =0. Once you complete your factoring, you will either get x as ½ or x as 4." She handed Mr. Nakamura back the chalk as she took her seat and the students whispered amongst themselves as he checked her work over and over.

"Very well done Miss Mitsiku, I will do my best not to bore you further. You know that is the honor roll material I've seen in you all along; with another student with high marks you can boost our schools test scores greatly. I just wish you would take such an opportunity seriously." _Well shit, I laid it on too thick, guess I have to tank the next test to even it out. _Something caught her attention out the window and she could have sworn she saw Hiei flit by, if she had blinked she would have missed him.

"May I be excused; I have to use the ladies room."

"Well yes, but hurry back!" She ran from the room before he could finish the sentence she was down the street as fast as her legs could take her but she was no match for Hiei's speed. She had stop short before turning a corner to avoid being seen by him as he spoke with Yusuke. Something wasn't right, maybe it was another case! She knew she could be of some help, they just had to give her a chance. But she wondered how cross Kurama would be if he found she went against his wishes.

"You know you are my best friend right?"

"Yeah…"

"So I ask you not to join anymore of Yusuke's cases, they are dangerous and I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Sure, I guess so." He gently grabbed her arm and turned her to look at him a slight glint in his eye. Was he trying to turn on the charm? That worked with the teachers and most certainly the other girls but not her. Then he pulled out the dreaded pinkie.

"Promise me."

"We haven't done one of those in _years_!" she grimaced.

"Then you should take it all the more serious." As much as she hated it she pinkie promised not to join anymore of Yusuke's cases, and their pinkie promises were sacred. However he didn't make her promise not to sneak the info and go rogue. She waited a while before walking by Kuwabara's house and it just so happened they were rushing outside.

"Kuwabara, what is going on?!" He played it for her mind like an old projector, a beautiful ice maiden was being held hostage by some greedy scumbag and his gangsters as they made her cry for her tears. And he was going to rescue her and make her his, she found it sort of cute that he would give his life for a girl he hadn't met, made her think this world wasn't such a rip off after all.

"Oh hey Siera, we got some important business to take care of we'll talk later! Hold on my love!" He ran down the street as she turned to Yusuke and Botan.

"Another case Yusuke?"

"Afraid so."

"Could you use some help?"

"You know what I could, you haven't seen Kurama around have you?" _Well that stung_.

"Actually no, he wasn't in school today. To be honest I thought he was with you."

"Well if you see him, could you tell him I'm looking for him?"

"Sure thing…" See he doesn't need her, she didn't need to join him anyway; but that wasn't going to stop her from going on her own venture.

"And just why in the hell are you not in school?!"

"Zoie, there's another case and-"

"Last I heard you were done with that."

"What are you going to do snitch on me, whose guardian are you?'

"I'm yours, and my job is to protect you not let you skip school and run off gallivanting who knows where to rescue Hiei's sister." And just like that he knew he said too much.

"That girl is Hiei's sister?" The smile widened as Zoie could do nothing but sigh.

"I promised no to join Yusuke, I didn't promise I wouldn't do my own investigation. And besides, would only be right to help out a friend in need, especially if she is family of a friend."

"You mean a _not enemy_?"

"Come on, I finally feel my life is going somewhere is way, I want to help, please?" she tweaked his ears lovingly as she layered on her 'pleases'

"Oh…geez okay already! But I swear if I have to chew through a veggie monster again I'm kicking your ass!"

"You needed the fiber, you're getting a little pudgy anyway!"

"I'm not fat, I'm just fluffy, I haven't shed my winter coat yet."

"You haven't shed your winter coat in years!" They took off in a different direction so not to be found out; for the first time in her life she felt that she was doing something for herself because she wanted to not because someone said it was for her own good; and she wasn't about to give it up now.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

"Do you even know where you are going? You deliberately went in a different direction than them, you don't know who or where these people are and you don't even know what you are up against!"

"We'll one; the rule is I cannot join Yusuke, can't join him if I didn't go with him right? Two, if you were this worried about what we were going to be up against then you wouldn't have agreed to go. And number three, I know exactly where I'm going and I don't want to make our presence known to him so keep your voice down!"

"He, you cannot be serious!"

"Shh! He's nearby." She opened her senses and sure enough she felt Hiei nearby, the question was where was he? She moved slowly and quietly up a tree to get a better view, as she scanned the area she spotted him maybe forty feet off in a tree. Without hesitation she lep from branch to branch until she was only ten feet away. She watched him closely as he seemed to be sleeping, studying the rise and fall of his chest. Strange, he didn't seem so hateful and cold this way but conflicted and sad; she must have stung him hard with her words, she saw he had a harrowing past but didn't know the extent of its effect on him. Funny she can see memories and feel their emotions at the time but she was still learning tact when it came to what they felt about them now. Now he seemed to be having a dream, or possibly a nightmare and she felt conflicted.

"I want to see, but I promised I wouldn't; if you want me to find her then you have to help me."

"Yukina!" He awoke with a start and was only inches from her face, in that solemn moment she saw something in his eyes, was it fear, sadness, guilt? She hadn't time to wonder as he then went for his sword. She immobilized him which only made him angier.

"I'm getting really tired of you!"

"Hiei Please! I didn't look, I swear; but if you want me to help I need you to work with me. Please, I don't mean any harm; I want her out safe just like you. I just need you to trust me."

"Trust you?! That's a joke if I ever heard one!" She put a hand on his shoulder and showed him an image of a young girl, she was alone and angry. She had no one to go home to, no one to understand, no one to know what to say because she had to hide all that she was from the world, and yet she didn't even know what _that_ was.

"The only difference is that you weren't given a chance to have someone love you, and that is their doing not yours. But you have the chance to have that; I had my family but because they had some stupid dispute I have no one and I will never have another chance at it. I want you to have your chance have it for me."

"Humph you think I want anything to do with the girl your sadly mistaken, you can keep your ideals and your sentiment. She's nothing to me; she could die for all I care."

"I never took you to be a fool so you are either lying or you're incredibly stupid."

"What?!"

"I knew you were looking for someone, but I didn't know who she was. I didn't see your dream but I know it was about her! You care about her and there aren't enough lies in the world you can tell me that will make me believe otherwise. I also believe that she doesn't know your name but she cares about you more than you will ever realize. You two are connected by blood and that doesn't mean things will be perfect or even good, but to be connected in such a way means more than simple friendship; this is for life. I know you feel it, I know what you really want; and if you want it to happen you have to help me help you." Hiei looked away, thinking.

"My Jagan can't see her." it was in such a whisper she almost didn't hear her.

"Do you have something of hers hair, clothing anything that may have her scent?" Hiei looked at her a moment and searched his pocket. He pulled out a small red piece.

"This came from her hair, it's all I have." She took it carefully in her hand and smelled it deeply, she then saw her face again, a few various images of the girl and her memories came to view until she saw the horrid dungeon she was locked in. She gave him the memento back.

"I got it, I'll find her, I promise and your secret is safe with me." He nodded as she leapt from the tree hitting the ground on all fours in her wolf form as she sped through trees. She let loose a piercing howl that was met with various howls in response, the search party was now in effect. Zoie caught up and ran alongside her.

"I didn't think Hiei would trust you enough to tell you as much as he did, figure he would kill you first."

"He isn't a bad as he puts off; and besides I didn't give him the chance. I'm going to find Yukina and I'm going to keep her safe."

"What are you going to do if you fail?"

"Then Hiei will kill me for real this time."

"Hmm, then we better not fail then, I'd hate to have to kill him because you had to stick your nose where it doesn't belong." She skidded to a stop on that and met him with a vicious snarl.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! Just because you are bound to me doesn't make you my superior, you are a guardian, you work for me and that means you are to stay in your place! Unless you want to take over." Zoie only looked at her, she was her most aggressive when in this form, it was like the animalistic instinct took over her logic. None the less if she did intend to brawl he could not harm her no matter how much she could to him, it was by this logic that he chose not to accept her challenge.

"You are right, I am not your superior, just your guardian. My job is to keep you safe and keep you alive until you can properly do so on your own. But get this straight _child,_ I do not work for you but for Korrin, she bound my soul to you when you were still sucking her teat, she gave me the information needed to keep you in her absence not the other way around and it is her power she gave to me in emergencies not yours. So if you want to throw down knowing I cannot harm you without cause is not only cowardice but very unwise. You are young, inexperienced and ill-equipped to be on your own let alone go globetrotting all over to face foes and save others that have nothing to do with you. In other words, you need me more than I will ever need you, and if I were never bound to you I sure as hell wouldn't be here catering to your whims now." He knew he got to her rationality, but what he didn't expect was the hurt look in her eyes as her ears lowered in submission. _She has never submitted to me before.._

"I'm sorry…I ask your forgiveness Zoie, but I owe it to a friend who has put his trust in me to help him find her. Please don't abandon your faith in me now." He nibbled her ears playfully causing a wag of her tail.

"I know that, like I said I have watched over you all of your life, I know you better than you know yourself. You are a kind-hearted person, and if you had the chance to reunite with a family member you would hope someone could help you do so. But understand, you can try as hard as you can and still fail, you have to be prepared for that."

"I am, but I have to try my hardest first." Both of their ears perked to the distant howl in the northwest.

"They found the mansion."

"Come on, let's go." They raced to he direction until they found the large estate that laid heavy with guards.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yusuke and Kuwabara will be this way and according to their thoughts they aren't far behind us."

"Party at the front door?"

"Crashing at the back window." They snuck around back and found a couple of guards. They weren't as big as the ones in the front, probably because they knew the main assault would be launched there. One was blue skinned with horns and orange hair while the other was red with much larger horns but seemed to keep his head shaved. Both were muscular and she could tell both weren't pushovers.

They both turned with a start as Siera and Zoie simply walked up to the guard unthreateningly.

"Hey what are you doing, we haven't got any food so shove off!" Siera lowered her ears and tail and whined as though wanting attention. She slumped up to the blue demon, placing a paw on his foot and panting. He relented and gave her head a pat.

"What do you think you're doing? Were supposed to be on the lookout for the intruders!"

"Hey we are, she just wanted to make a friend didn't you girl? Your absolutely gorgeous, yes you are and big too, those teeth could kill someone easily! What if we keep her, she would make good security!" Siera licked the demons face, and looked to the other panting happily.

"He has such dazzling eyes, I've never seen that shade of blue!"

_Open the door._

"What…did you say something?"

"It wasn't me…"

_Open the door and let us in, shut the door behind us, your memory will be you petted us and we ran away. You will not remember letting us in._ The demons looked vacantly before standing up and walking to the door. The blue skinned one opened it, allowing Siera and Zoie to enter without a single bout of aggression.

"Very good."

"If I can reach her without spilling blood it would be ideal, as much as I don't want all of the fun to go to Yusuke, ringing the alarm early would put him at a disadvantage."

"Very strategic, what will we do when we reach her?"

"I hope to simply walk her out, if that is impossible then I will alert Hiei of her location, I know that between the three of them, she will be liberated." As they walked leisurely through the hall, she kept her focus on nearby minds; to them they were not there, which allowed them to venture peacefully.

"There is a set of stairs."

"Her scent leads here, it's old, she must have been here a while." They ran up the stairs until they reached a chamber with yet another guard.

Open the door and let us in. The guard opened the gate and she walked inside as Zoie stood his ground.

"You aren't coming?"

"Protect the girl, I will go and get more help, there is something else here, I feel it and I know you cannot fight it, so lay low and keep her safe from harm I will be back with reinforcements." With that he was gone and she turned back to the task at hand. She found the poor girl depressed and in tears as she sat on the floor holding a couple of dead birds. She looked up terrified at seeing Siera fearing yet another assault.

_No, please don't be afraid I'm here to help you._

"Are…are you a telepath; is that how you are talking to me?"

_Yes, I want to get you out of here._

"No, you cannot, you will only die like everyone else who has tried to help me."

_You don't understand…I can set you free._

"NO! Don't you get it, the ones who did this…they are very powerful, and I fear that if you tried, they will only kill you and I can't have any more blood on my hands…I just can't do it!" she shuddered as she held herself not wanting to cry anymore. Siera came close and snuggled the girl letting her wail into her fur moving her to cry herself. The sound of keys jingling brought both of their hearts to full speed. A guard, this time human, came in with a cattle prod in hand, keen on getting a pocket of jewels of his own.

"Since you are on such a role sweetheart; how about you give your ole uncle Kinsho a few of those tears?" Siera snarled at him menacingly and the man took a step back in shock.

"What the hell, how did you get in here?!"

_Get out, you will not harm his girl unless you want to lose your own life! And you never saw me here!_ The guard proceeded to walk away without a word.

"Will he tell?"

No…no one will hurt you if I can help it, but if these people are too strong like you say then I cannot guarantee that you won't be harmed before help arrives. But I will make sure that you are not alone, and if those people do come I will gladly give my life to keep you from shedding another tear even if it is just for a few more minutes. But help is on the way, you won't have to live like this much longer, I promise.

"I don't even know your name…"

Siera, my name is Siera and it is an honor to make your acquaintance Yukina.

"Thank you Siera…you are such a nice guardian…" The girl fell asleep exhausted, nestled in her thick fur she looked at the poor girl in sadness. She licked her wounds and wrapped her body around her_. I will watch over you until help comes, if it takes my life no one will ever make you cry again. Help is coming honey, it won't be much longer._

"Shh, hush child, I know it hurts, but this pain you feel won't last forever."

"I want my Mama…"

"I know, but that isn't an option anymore, do not fret, I will be here with you until my last breath I will keep you safe and you will never have to cry again as long as I can help it."

"I love you Zoie…"

She thought of the time she hugged Zoie this same way the night her parents died, he was the real guardian not her and even now he is fighting to protect her. She would make him proud and reunite this poor girl all at once, to truly help another would make her life worth living it would finally be something she could call herself proud of doing.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

_Hiei, I have found her, there is a mansion twenty miles northwest , I have her but she refuses to leave. Yusuke and Kuwabara are inside, they are working their way through. There is something here…hurry._ Yukina remained asleep as Siera kept her body curled around her protectively. She was on edge, she felt something in this place but couldn't pinpoint it to a particular location, it was like this amount of power wasn't being contained within a person but in the property as a whole; yet at the same time it was being controlled like water in a faucet. It was unsettling and she wished she weren't there. But as she looked at the poor scared girl who had endured this for much longer than her she knew she had to stay, the only thing she could do was scan for thoughts and hope for it to be over.

_The intruders have gotten through the apparition gang and the triad they are going to kill us next!_

_Dammit I knew I should have took the bastards watches and bolted now I'm going to die empty handed_

_I wonder if I sneak out the back if they will just assume I'm dead_

_My mother said for me to become a dentist but did I listen? Fuck no, now I'm screwed!_

From what she could tell Yusuke and Kuwabara were almost through, good then they could all go home and this poor girl won't have to suffer anymore. She felt it again and it nearly took her breath away, that power, it was immense.

_Ha Toguro will lay waste to those brats, he killed Helen with no problem, their money is mine! Now to just move the girl to protect my profits_…Oh shit, oh no, they are coming, she had to calm herself, open her senses and think of a plan. _Who was Helen, what was coming this way?_ She searched the thoughts of the last man which was usually harder when she didn't have eye contact, why didn't she practice harder?! And then she saw it, a horrible beast ripped in half by some man…no…some monster. That surge of power Zoie felt, that came from him, she shuddered at what he could do to her.

_Yukina, sweet heart wake up, they are coming, they are going to move you!_

"What do we do…no you have to leave or they will kill you!"

_I'm not leaving you, I will try to fool them, I will be in this corner you go back to your chair and do not speak or look at me I will manipulate their minds so they do not see me here._

"Please be careful."

_Shhhh I told you no more tears, now go hurry!_ Yukina sat back in her place and Siera reverted back to her normal form and pressed herself against the wall being as still as possible. Two thugs entered the room along with the monster she saw before; he wore a long overcoat and dark sunglasses, a smaller gangly man clutched to his shoulder. Poor Yukina shuddered, afraid that another deposit was in order.

"Come on sweetie time to go." One of the thugs grabbed her arm and the man named Toguro placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Wait…we aren't alone." Both of the girls' hearts stopped Toguro turned his head and looked directly in Siera's direction. _You don't see me…There is nothing here, just go away._

"Ha, silly girl, your effort is nice and you fooled them but I am too strong for you. But then, you know that already don't you?"

"Who are you talking to, I don't see anybody did the ice bitch do something again?"

"Now brother?"

"Yes." The small man's fingers flew like daggers in her direction faster than she could dodge. She was stabbed straight through the left shoulder. She felt the blood fill her mouth but even more so the fear fill the rest of her.

"NO LEAVE HER ALONE PLEASE!" One of the thugs slapped her as she leapt out of her chair.

"How did a naked chick get in here and I not notice?"

"Because she is a telepath and a manipulator, you saw what she wanted you to see. How long has I been since the last guard been in?"

"Not long ago, there is usually one to check every hour or so"

"I bet you've been here for hours haven't you? Why didn't you sneak her away? I've heard stories of women like her; conjuring armies with a whisper, destroying whole cities with a thought. I believe she could be quite powerful someday but she's young, she doesn't know what she's doing."

"Should I rip out her heart now brother?"

"No, we have business to attend to." What was his game, he could kill her while she was exposed, what was going on? She was released and she fell to the floor but refused to take her eyes off of him. He knelt in front of her and looked her in the eye.

"You're afraid, or else you would have launched an attack and I bet a strong one, I see the power in there, but you merely can't tap into it. This is only 20% of my power, and you are this afraid? I could only imagine what you would do at fifty, how easily I could crush you then." He stroked her face and she shuddered, he let out a soft chuckle as he stood.

"You're nothing but a waste of my time, come back to me when you're strong enough to fight. That's if you make it out of here alive, if you become my next job you won't get to walk away." she felt insulted and weak as they left with Yukina in tow. She failed…she failed to keep her safe she stood there like some sort of idiot. She stood and ran after them another thug stopped her.

"Well looks like my birthday came early."

Shut up, give me your clothes and then go jump off a cliff. The man obliged and she continued on trying to follow them without being seen. They had her in the room with the ugly man as they watched the fight begin, she just had to get back to her, she had to help her somehow…

Tarukane watched in delight as his champion was going to win back his fortune he placed a cigar in his mouth and turned to his latest prize as she trembled under his gaze.

"Come on sweetheart, I want you to have a good look at those two down there that came to save you, they are going to die and it's all your fault." He was interrupted by the clicking of heels on the floor, there he saw this vision of a woman enter the room; silky smooth skin the color of milk chocolate carefully clad in a red backless Persian silk dress that met the floor. Her raven hair pulled into a pinned Mohawk that let their waves cascade down to her shoulder blades. Her body was amazing but it as those cerulean eyes that entranced him so much so that when her full painted lips curled into a smile he hardly noticed.

"Wh-wh-who are you?"

"I am insulted that you do not know who I am, being that my late father was a very esteemed member of the Black Black Club. I will disregard your utter disrespect by allowing you to pour m a drink." She spoke with authority and looked at him like trash, she had money, she even smelled of it.

"You can't be Seiji's daughter, you died right along with him…" She slapped him so hard Yukina jumped out of her skin.

"You insolent bastard, how dare you slander my father's name by calling him a liar! Look at my ring and the family crest if you do not believe! As I am to understand, you have owed my father a great debt, and in result are now beholden to our family…of course we could simply have you killed…being that you don't have much of anything to offer anymore…"

"Look…I'm not calling you a liar, I got the cash I owe ya, I got it and then some, just give me a little time. I got a lot riding on this right now."

"Yes…wait please give me time said the con man. I will need some collateral if i'm going to allow you to thin my patience further."

"Like what…I got cars, boats, I have monsters galore if you want to pick one out any one you want pick any demon."

"Hm, fine I want this one." She points to Yukina who gasps as he grabbed her arm.

"You can't have her!"

"But didn't you say I could have any demon you owned or are you the liar, shall I add that to your name, or will cheat suffice?"

"I did say that…"

"She's easy to look at, easy to transport and she's right here. So then…what is so special about this one that I can't have her?"

"Nothing, she aint special at all."

"Then I will take her, I will give her back when I get our money."

"Wait…if you are who you say you are, then how much do I owe you?" she looked him in the eye and took a drag from her long cigarette, blowing the smoke in his face.

"Eight billion yen, with five percent interest over three years…that's 9.2 billion yen. A pretty meager amount I may add but if I add in the fact that you hired a man to shoot down my father's plane to avoid repaying…well, let's just say a girl can get a little petty. The other members find out what a cheat you are then it won't take much to destroy you. You will be wiped clean of your funds, then I will have my guard take you to my torture chamber so that we can have a little fun. You remember my specialty… first I start with burning the soft tissue…then I slice each tendon slowly….you will beg for death long before your time comes. Of course I am a forgiving woman and I'm always willing to settle."

"I can give you all the money you desire, I'll make it an even 10 no need to be hasty how about it?"

"Place it in my hand now."

"I don't carry 10 billion yen in my pocket…"

"Then I will take my collateral and go, you may have her back…when I have my money." She grabbed Yukina by the arm and proceeded to lead her away. _We are almost out, I just have to get you out and you will be free._

"Look out!" Tarukane pulls a gun and proceeds to fire three shots, Yukina screams and silence falls, before there is collective gasp. The three bullets stop in midair, and the air became increasingly thick with tension. Yukina trembled in fear as the woman who she thought was her savior looked on to the terrible man eyes glowing like blue flames along with her aura making her look like a terrible sapphire blaze. Something in her changed, some sort of switch flipped inside her and even though she felt nothing but bloodlust and rage it titillated her senses and excited her, the thought of ripping him apart piece by piece while he begged for mercy seemed so tantalizing. All eyes suddenly moved to the window as Yusuke and Kuwabara administered a blow to Toguro's chest rendering a victory. Tarukenae screamed and another faint sound came to Sieras' ears putting a wicked smile on her face.

"You're lucky fool, there are others in line before me who want to have their way with you; it would be rude to take you out when you have such a comeuppance in front of you. Yukina, you are safe now, this is where I leave you." She hugged her new friend before taking off in full run with Hiei passing her by.

She continued her trek back home and the more she thought about it the more depressed she became. What exactly had she done to help the situation, how did she help Yukina in any way? They would have gotten everything done without her; they didn't need her at all, if anything she could have made things worse. Worst of all she allowed that monster to intimidate her, she could have attacked him in that room with the same ferocity she felt when she wanted to dismantle that human gangster, but she was too afraid of the power she felt and second guessed her abilities. She began to feel her rage spike again, why was she so foolish?

"You thought you could just go home without me knowing?" Kurama stood in a nearby tree just above her; she sucked her teeth and kept walking. He jumped down and reached for her and she jerked away from his grasp.

"Siera…"

"If you've come to tell me that you were right I don't want to hear it okay?! I was foolish, I ran into a situation I didn't know anything about, I choked the moment I would have been the most useful and I did nothing to improve the situation or expatiate her rescue! I was useless! I could have gotten her hurt, or worse... I should have just stayed in class."

"She wanted me to find you to thank you."

"What?"

"You kept those men from hurting her further, they would have no doubt been in and out trying to get their own share, you kept her safe from them and she felt safe with you. And when you were found out you could have left her, you could have left her at any point she chose not to leave but you didn't and she thanks you for that." She rested her forehead on his chest and sighed, she was both mentally and physically exhausted. Something about the nearness of him…she was better before he even opened his mouth.

"Teach me."

"What?"

"Teach me to fight K, I need to learn hand to hand combat, weaponry, all of it! I need to be as skilled as the rest of you, I cannot rely on my abilities alone, there will always be someone out there with stronger spirit energy than me, so I need to be strong and fast physically as well. I am not going to choke because of my fear again when someone needs me!" He looked at her as though in thought and smiled.

"I will help you, because you need to learn to defend yourself, in the meantime I don't want you running off like this again."

"I understand." They walked together in the cool night air, this was such a change of pace from just the day before; calm and quiet.

"Stay with us tonight, Mother has been wondering where you've been for the past few weeks."

"I was mad at you."

"It never stopped you from visiting before."

"I didn't want to cause a scene…how has she been?"

"She's fine, she has been seeing her boyfriend a lot lately."

"Boyfriend, you mean that old guy?"

"Ha ha, now now he is a good man."

"He still isn't good enough for her; I should do a background check on him."

"Siera, behave yourself. She will be alright, I rather like him."

"Hmm, sure that's fine, but it doesn't mean he can start coming into our home eating our food and calling you son, he has no right to-"

"You make it seems like she's your mother not mine." The moonlight illuminated him and she felt something she hadn't before. She hadn't even noticed when he has started to help her walk, guess she had lost more blood than she realized.

"Our mothers were friends…and she's done so much for me over the years, maybe I do see her as my second mother."

"There is nothing wrong with that, she surely sees you as her daughter."

"Really?"

"Of course, always talking about what a nice girl you are and that you would be a good fit for me etc."

"Oh wow, now that's funny!" They both laughed but something felt awkward between them.

"Things really haven't been the same, I was so angry before; I thought I was going to lose you to _this_. But I realize that this is much bigger than me or you; I just want to be a part of it."

"I know you do, so we will start tomorrow, you can stay with us tonight and I'll patch your shoulder."

"I can do it myself you know, I can lick my own wounds."

"Yes but consider it my apology for keeping you in the dark." She looked over at him as he smiled at her, something about those emerald eyes of his warmed her. Was it the blood loss or the moonlight messing with her?

"I'm really tired…"

"You've lost a lot of blood, here I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"How chivalrous of you…" she hardly remembered being lifted up as she passed out, but not one moment did she feel afraid knowing she was in her best friends arms.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

"That's better, but I still saw that last strike coming a mile off, never become predictable." Siera picked herself off of the ground for what seemed like the hundredth time this afternoon; she had a few unpredictable words for him while she was at it. Kurama struck her again with his whip making her roll on the ground in pain.

"That was just enough to stun you; you also have to be quicker; any real enemy wouldn't simply wait for you to get to your feet."

"If you're trying to make me mad, you're well on your way."

"Then while I have you riled up let us change the pace." He let loose a whirlwind of rose petals that swirled and danced around the pair. _Damn not these again!_ She knew each of these were sharper than razor blades, if she wanted to deflect them she had to use her mind but she knew him, he was going to attack her simultaneously. She had to keep her body and mind in control, and that was hardest to do when she was angry. She steadied her breathing and opened her senses waving and whirling the petals using Tai Chi, Kurama leapt upward o strike her from above and she used his own petals against him, blinding him with the cloud just before punching him in the kidney. He landed nearly falling backward but then darting to the side to strike her with the whip again only for her to dodge by hurling her body toward the ground.

"That was a lot better, you have gotten better control than last time, you nearly deflected them all."

"Yeah, nearly but not all." She did experience a decent cut on her back, but it was nothing compared to last week when she had to be bandaged head to toe.

"Let me look at it," He gently pushed her hair aside to look at her back, his touch sending goose bumps all over. She started getting butterflies which confused her, she had never felt these things before especially with him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I guess I'm just…excited."

"You should be, you've improved greatly and in such a short amount of time; I'm proud of you."

"Aw geez K, you're going to make me blush."

"That's high praise coming from you, I hear no one can make you blush."

"Ugh, stupid boys trying to see what the weird girl is all about. They try to flex and act all tough when I know I can beat every one of them to a pulp. It's annoying really, they get intimidated by me and stop talking to me soon as they find out I'm not going to swoon over them."

"Can you blame them; you are like a flame full of so much light and beautiful in the way you dance but dangerous, the moths come over and want to know more, but once they feel the heat they fall away. They do not fly too close in fear of being consumed by the fire but they cannot help but try." There was an intensely awkward silence between them and he laughed nervously.

"Tell me what you were like."

"When?"

"What do you mean when, back then; before you were human? Tell me what you were like."

"You don't need to know about that; it's the past, it has nothing to do with now."

"Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it; I heard what you told Yusuke at that night. What I gather is that you did things you weren't proud of." He finished patching her and she turned to face him. From the glare in his eye he obviously didn't want to stay on the subject.

"I hurt you?!" She noticed the blood coming from his side and nearly panicked.

"It's nothing."

"Still let me look." He lifted his shirt and she assessed his cut, she had also bruised his ribs from striking him. She gently cleaned it and patched him up, all the while refusing to make eye contact with him. She also noticed so many other scars on his body, how many battles has he been in?

"I've seen worse, I think you'll live." She laughed as she smacked him in the shoulder. Silence fell again and she found herself looking at him as he looked downward_. What was on his mind, what was he hiding from me? _

"I had done some things I'm not proud of, but every day I try to be different from the person I was; I try to be someone I _can_ look in the mirror and be proud of." She was touched by his openness and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulders as he sighed.

"Let's go, we have school in the morning."

"Oh yeah, I have an algebra test tomorrow, and I think I'm going to ace it."

"Oh? That's bold of you, why the change?"

"It isn't that I stopped caring, but maybe it's time I stood out and acted more like myself. I mean why cant I tell them that they are simply on business? It works everywhere else, so why not?"

"And what will happen if it doesn't?"

"Then they will simply forget it."

"Siera! You cannot be wiping memories from the teachers!"

"Just details like my home life, it's nothing really. Don't worry, I just want to be me for once."

"And you should, you have that right." She smiled at him and hugged him again before leaving for home. Zoie watched from afar looking smug.

"Oh what?"

"Nothing, I just…is something different about K?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, something is different, the things he speaks to me…it's odd."

"Really, what did he say?"

"He said…I don't know. It's silly really, he would never like someone like me."

"You've been saying that for years when you thought he was human, now things are different."

"How are they different? You said yourself that it makes no different whether he's a demon or not."

"I did, but I meant about you feeling alone in your life, you were never alone. But now you know about a chapter in his life no one else did, that makes a difference. Look I'm no expert, but you two have been close since you were toddlers, you know each other in and out but at the same time you feel things that seem strange because you are attached to him."

"So you're saying it isn't real."

"You aren't even saying what _it_ is." She stopped and looked toward the sunset, her heart racing.

"I don't dare say it."

"You have love for him; you have for a very long time I knew that all along. The question is do you know that."

"I don't want to talk about this Zoie period."

"Alright fine, don't tell me. I only wiped your nose and licked your wounds and—"

"Zoie please! We are best friends, nothing more, nothing needs to get in the way of that. I can't tell him the truth; it would be disastrous if he didn't feel the same. Then our friendship would be ruined and I cannot have that. So just leave it be please."

"You were the one who raised the subject." She sighed and walked faster. Damn that boy…she has stuffed away these feelings years ago why would they bubble back up now? Was it hormones, or was it something else?

It was raining and she was running as fast as her legs could carry her. Her dress was ripped and her face dirty, she had lots of cuts and bruises on her little body but in this moment she wasn't thinking of that. She was thinking about him, she had to get to him; he was the only one who could understand what happened, and the only one who would know what to do. The apartment building that was once her home had collapsed, luckily not many people were injured; the earthquake had caused an unintentional evacuation that saved their lives. But then, they were not the lives she was thinking about.

Mother had sent Zoie off on some errand and during a confrontation between them her parents were now dead; as she ran the rescue team searched for their bodies but she knew they wouldn't find them. She was soaked to the bone by the time she reached his block, she was in a lot of pain but she ignored it. She had to keep going; she needed someone to help her. She had always been amazed when he knew she was coming, he would always be seen coming out to greet her before she even got to his house, this time was no different except there was concern and dread in his eyes. She leapt into his arms, causing them both to fall into a nearby puddle. It was in that moment when she felt his embrace did she finally cry; hard choking sobs erupted from her like a volcano, he said nothing as they stood but just held her there in his arm.

"They're gone, they had a fight…the building…I called for them and no one answered…" She could hardly breathe let alone speak through her cries.

"I'm all alone…"

"No, you are not alone. You have me, you will always have me." She would never forget those words that came with the comfort of his embrace. It was at that moment she fell in love with him; only a few weeks into seven and orphaned, he swore to be her family and that her tragedy would not take over her life. She held that moment in her heart ever since, but never spoke a word of her feelings to him. If this feeling was one sided then she risks damaging their friendship, nothing would be the same and that would be like losing her family all over again.

"Come back down."

"What?"

"I get it, you don't want things to change between you, you decided that eight years ago, but why bring this up now?" Why _was_ this coming up now? The words he said, his gentle touch or was it the look in his eyes when he did both? Could she be imagining it, or did he feel something too?

"Maybe it's nothing, just a teenage girls foolish dream. It doesn't need to go any further than that; he could never love someone like me. I can be mean, hateful, petty and sometimes…I want to hurt people, like that guy that hurt Yukina."

"Well he was a bastard, there was a literal line of people who wanted to hurt him."

"This was different, there is something scary inside of me, and I don't want him to know about that. If he did he wouldn't want to be friends let alone…"

"Just say it."

"I will not speak words that cannot be true."

"Alright fine, for the millionth time, your secret is still safe with me."

"Thank you Zoie."

"But it is funny, it used to be that a human could never love a demon, but your own parents proved that point to be moot. Even so you find that he himself is a demon as well, yet you still feel there is something that is supposed to scare him away? I don't think it's your genes but your own insecurities." She didn't answer him, she knew her mind was made up on the matter, she would never tell not ever. She would rather have her best friend forever than risk ruining it by attempting something deeper. She was happy with the way things were, and as far as she knew so was he


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Anger…resentment…frustration all of these things she felt beyond control. Of course these were things she felt a lot all of the time but not like this, not towards him. She stood by her homeroom door trying to understand just what went wrong. It started just a couple of months ago, the day started like any other; she waited for him after school so they could get a bit of training only he didn't show. It wasn't like him to flake so she waited at their usual place, it was several hours before he came looking somber.

"There you are, I thought you had started to get too chicken shit to spar with me again after the whooping I gave you!" He didn't look at her, but instead off to the distance.

"K, hey what's wrong?"

"Toguro's alive and we have been invited for lack of better words to the dark tournament. There we will be forced to fight for our lives against other treacherous types like him."

"If you don't want to do it then don't go!"

"If we do not attend he will kill us and our loved ones…and the same goes if we lose."

"When do we leave?"

"What do you mean we?"

"You, me and everyone else; when do we leave for this?"

"You aren't going anywhere, you are staying here-"

"So That I can worry about you guys and wonder if you will come back alive? I'll be damned if I do that, we are in this together!"

"You don't understand; there is a large chance that we won't make it out alive but we have no choice in this and you do!"

"And I _choose_ to fight by your side! How are we supposed to be best friends forever if I leave you when you need me; if I just sit idly by while you fight for your life?! I won't do it and you for damn sure aren't going to make me!" He looked so conflicted, even on edge; this was serious.

"We need a fifth member…we will continue to train, but it will be much harder than before."

"Alright, I'm ready for whatever you can dish."

"I won't be holding back any longer, and I expect you to do the same."

"Okay." From that day they trained harder than ever, Kuwabara as well, poor guy. Everyone was definitely concerned about this tournament, if that monster of a man was in fact alive and much more powerful than any of them had imagined then they had every right to be. It didn't slow her down however; she worked hard, fought harder and developed the scars and higher pain threshold to prove it. She wasn't going to be weak and wimp out on them again, she was going to show them just how much of a difference she could make.

She walked into the classroom and took out her books, glancing at the other students who chatted away about their classes or what show they had watched the night before. _Damn, it all seems so meaningless…do they know about the things that really go on around them at all?_ She looked out the window to the leaves on the trees another sting of resentment stabbed her heart as her memories had a knack for doing.

They were deep in the woods this evening just a few days ago and had trained hard; they were both exhausted and took a break on the large branches. She looked over the forest as the cool night air made them sway. Even though she was really sore and exhausted, she felt relaxed and at ease in that moment; in hindsight she realized that she was trying to push the fear of the coming fights aside if just for a moment. Her best friend leaned against the main part of the tree, tired himself; he leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes. She looked at him for longer than she felt she should have. The girls in school swooned over the most gorgeous guy in school, the fact that he was also the kindest and smartest only added fuel to their fire. _Shuichi Minamino, the most perfect guy in our class, but what did that make me? His best friend, but what qualities did I have? Sure the guys have certainly come around since I had become more outgoing; I hear talk that I'm the hottest girl, but does that truly hold value in a boys eyes_.

"I can feel you staring at me you know."

"Oh…sorry."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Everything…nothing."

"The usual then?"

"You know I'm a complicated mess, I'm sure if I was as transparent as those girls that vie for your attention I would bore you to death."

"You transparent, I think I would see Yusuke get straight A's first!"

"Oh wow, now I don't know how to feel about that! Maybe I should be one of those bubbly empty headed girls, and then I wouldn't be such an outsider."

"You really think you need to change yourself to be accepted?"

"Uh…hello! It's what I have done ALL MY LIFE; I have lowered my grades, held my tongue, suppressed my powers and put up with everyone's bull so that I can live a somewhat normal life! But this isn't normal, I don't belong to what everyone calls normal!"

"No, you aren't like everyone else, and that's good; but there is a difference between blending in to stay safe and changing everything about yourself in order to be accepted by people who do not matter to you in the long run."

"So which one are you doing?" He opened his eyes and leaned forward, she moved over closer to him as the crickets began to chirp their nightly song.

"I could have left a while ago; I had planned…to leave when I was strong enough but I chose to stay."

"For Shiori."

"And for you."

"For me, why would you stay for me if what you wanted was to go back home?"

"Don't you get it? I am home, back then, I went where I pleased but I had no home. I had no family, I had partners but when it came to friends I…" He trailed away like a series of distant memories derailed his train of thought.

"When I was a part of the shadows I hurt a lot of people; but since I have been in the light, I have been able to see my transgressions for what they are. I have a lot of regrets."

"But you aren't that person, I have never met someone as kind or as noble and trustworthy as you are. You are not your past K…" She turned and leaned back onto him, resting her head on his chest which she had done many times over the years but this time he put his arms around her waist and held her close. She could feel her heart beat so hard she thought it would explode but she didn't move; she didn't dare.

"You don't know what I've done…who I've hurt. If you knew what a monster I was you would turn away from me."

"Stop it, what was done then isn't who you are now. Don't let your guilt take over you; I'm supposed to be the one with the horrible flashbacks and post traumatic episodes." She laughed but he remained silent. _Oh wow, he really is in a funk. Why did I have to put my nose where it didn't belong? _She nuzzled his neck and he held her tighter all of the feelings she had worked hard to stifle started to bubble up again.

"K? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry and bring all of these feeling back. I've never seen you this way, I don't like it."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to darken such a beautiful night with my thoughts. My point is, that I stay because I have a family here; I have people who depend on me and I would give my life for. It is why I am fighting in this tournament, not for my own life but for those I care about, for my friends as well as my family."

"You really consider me your family?"

"It was never a debate; the question is why you ever had to ask."

"I…I don't know." _Damn he smells so good…this is dangerous I feel so confused, what message is he sending here? _

"The truth is…you mean a lot to me, I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."

"You mean a lot to me too…you are the first person I think of when I wake up and the last when I fall asleep. Everything about you from your warm heart, your kind smile and your incredibly intelligent mind brings me happiness. I guess what I'm trying to say is…" _Wait, he's snoring!_ She listened harder to his breathing, he had fallen asleep. _Maybe it was for the best, he may not have even meant it the way I heard it. _ She let herself relax and fell asleep in his arms more than forty feet in the air as the crickets sang a beautiful serenade. It was the first time she had no nightmares or negative feelings of any kind, in fact, she felt like she was on top of the world.

"Hey Siera, that is your name isn't it?" Some boy had turned his chair to her desk, and was talking to her, how long had he been there?

"Y-yeah, sorry…and you are?"

"Haru, I sit behind you. So I saw how you did on the quiz last week and I was wondering if you could tutor me, and maybe I could repay you with a movie or something?" Another boy was asking her out, this was unfamiliar territory for her but all the same she did enjoy the attention even if the answer was no before they took the first breath to ask. She was just thinking of a list of other plans when her best friend walked in and took his seat and anger surged in her chest again.

"Look Siera I really think you're playing with fire here."

"Zoie you have only been trying to talk me out of this for months it isn't working."

"For once I'm not talking about that, I mean him."

"K, what could be wrong with him? I really think that I can tell him what I feel, I think that he feels the same way!"

"Look I just have a feeling is all…"

"Before you were trying to get me to talk about it, now you want me to keep quiet, which is it?!"

"I just want what's best for you!"

"Seems like you don't even know what that is anymore!" she stormed away angry, how could he be so contradicting?! She was going to tell him the truth once and for all and to heck with what came after, after that night she knew he had to love her too.

"I'm just humoring the girl alright?! Whatever juvenile notions she has in her head are hers alone; you can I both know that it will never go any farther than what it is. It can't and it won't, too much is at risk to simply pacify a brat's fantasy! So just drop it!" she walked in on what seemed like a heated discussion between Kurama and Hiei, but it was what came from her best friends mouth that stabbed her deeper than any sword or dagger. He turned and saw in her face that she heard what he said and turned away unapologetic; she in turn struck him hard in the ribs with her fists barley giving him time to deflect the series of blows she had planned to give after.

"Never leave yourself open for attack…isn't that what you taught me?" He smirked as he shoved her back unleashing his whip, she chucked her physical training aside and froze it midair with her telekinesis surprising them both.

"Understand something…I am only here to train so that I can fight in this tournament too, I have my own score to settle with Toguro, and I will be damned that anyone gets in the way of that. Am I understood?" Hiei smirked as he left unbothered leaving her to face him alone. She trained harder than she ever had before leaving home to cry, over the course of that night the hurt turned into rage and she welcomed it there, like a lost pet that nested in its new home.

"Hey, hello, so what do you say?" Kurama looked her in the eye, curious at the interaction. She placed her hand on Harus' and smiled flirtingly.

"Sure, I would love to go out with you." If he wanted to mix signals and play with her then she would show him that she didn't need him. Let him be jealous for once, let him wonder what she sees in these trivial boys and get his gears turning. She would be just fine ignoring and irking him by day and taking her anger out on him in the evening. It was his own fault, now he was going to see just how petty she could really be. _Let the game begin._


	12. Chapter 12

12.

"You need to tell me what is going on Kurama; this shit show has got to end now!"

"I don't even know what you are talking about; she is the one who is acting childish."

"Oh you are the last one to start talking about childish, she told me what you said; why couldn't you be man enough to tell her the dammed truth instead of letting her believe that lie?!" Zoie had snuck off to Kuramas' house while Siera was out; something wasn't right, it had seemed their world was off balance and he was going to get to the bottom of it. He had known him for over a decade but he knew there were secrets in that boy' eyes, he could sense it from the time they met. But Siera cared deeply for him, even bound herself to him in friendship and so out of respect he minded his business but now his mistress was hurting and it angered him deeply.

"Because I would rather have her despise me and live than forgive me and die; I made a mistake that night I allowed myself to become vulnerable with her. It won't happen again. However, I can use this little mishap to an advantage for the both of us." Kurama looked to the large dog on his bed as he leaned forward in his chair. He liked him well enough but knew that his main objective was to keep Siera safe even if it meant from him. He had never gone so far as to call him friend but they did enjoy each other's company when appropriate and their common interest kept them amiable; but even now it was evident that even this relationship was very strained.

"Being?"

"She is angry with me, so much so that she has become irrational; we both know she is not experienced enough to control her anger in battle, she will make mistakes and it will cost her greatly."

"So you're saying we use this as a scapegoat to convince her to stay away from the slaughter?"

"If there is a sliver of rationality left in her then yes."

"We both know the only thing more powerful than her bullheadedness is her loyalty, she would want to strangle you where you stand but will fight for your life. Do you really think she will be rational about this? You guys need a fifth member and last I checked she was supposed to be it." Kurama stood as he looked out his bedroom window, his mind playing many a memory.

"I never told her that she would be the fifth member precisely."

"Are you saying you let her train for these past couple months for nothing?!"

"No, she has trained so that she could better defend herself and learn to strategize that in turn will help her!"

"She is pissed at you now, you take this opportunity from her you may not be able to fix this friendship!"

"If that saves her life then so be it." silence fell between them, Zoie studied him intensely but relaxed on the bed again.

"We both know I'm right Zoie."

"Of course, but must you break her heart? It is one thing to anger her or to pull her goals out from under her, but this girl cares for you a lot! You and I are the only thing connecting her to a time that wasn't full of death and sadness." Kurama continued to stare out his back to Zoie.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying to tell her the truth, she will forgive you I know that to be true, but if you continue to play this game with her, to let her believe that you would devalue her in such a way; you are going to lose her, possibly for good."

"Zoie…in two weeks I leave with Yusuke, Hiei and Kuwabara to fight for our lives. It is possible that I won't come back at all, now I could have her mourn my death for a part of her life or I can leave this world with her despising me, and then my loss won't be so heavy on her heart. I trust that she would take care of my mother; she loves her and will comfort her. You see, in this way I'm being merciful."

"You are a wise old soul; painfully morose but nonetheless wise. I hate seeing her this way; call me a softie but I really wanted the two of you to reconcile, she loves you."

"I don't see why…besides there is a chance she will forget me soon enough now she is going out with Haru."

"She doesn't even remember his name; he's just some tool with good looks that she is using to make you jealous."

"Well it isn't working."

"Oh?" He didn't answer and Zoie chuckled to himself before his ears perked.

"She's here." They both listened as there was a knock and Shiori answered greeting the visitor.

"I came looking for Zoie, I know he's always over here."

"Oh yes, Shuichi has been watching him for you while you were gone."

"Thank you. So you must tell me about this man of yours!" the two began to laugh and chat as they always did. Zoie and Kurama however watched the door tensely because what Shiori didn't feel or know about was the palpable rage that filled the house since Siera knocked on the door.

"Her energy is so different nowadays, it's dark and so violent…you see why I want you to fix this; there is no telling what this will make of her." the door swung open and she stood before them both, shooting daggers at Kurama before bending over to Zoie's level.

"Hi baby, did you miss Mommy?!" Zoie yipped and wagged his tail as he greeted his owner to Shiori's pleasure.

"He is always a joy to have; he is the sweetest dog I have ever seen!" She patted his head as she received several licks to her cheeks.

"Oh Shuichi, it is getting dark, why don't you walk them home? You two haven't spent as much together as you used to, I'm beginning to think you're having another fight."

"What, no, everything is right as rain; we have just been very busy with our other classes!"

"Mm-hmm, I know you both and I know when you aren't yourself Siera, I think you two need a simple heart to heart to clear the air." She smiled as she turned to leave. The three of them stood in awkward silence before Siera walked out without acknowledging either of them.

The three of them walked on in silence with Siera storming ahead; she would have given anything not to be put in this position and as far as she was concerned it was Kuramas' fault as well and what's worse Zoie is in cohorts with him. She could hear them whispering to each other and it only infuriated her more; it was like she was some sort of object or something, like she didn't have feelings!

"Siera we need to talk." She refused to look at them as she kept walking.

"Come on, I know you have been angry lately, we need to talk about it.'

"Angry? Who's angry, I'm not angry. And even if I was, what would I have to be angry about, my so called best friend being a _lying_ _manipulative two-faced asshole_ or my guardian that sneaks off to whisper about me when I'm not around like a _back-stabbing little snitch_?!"

"Okay good, we are finally putting our feelings into words, getting communication going."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ZOIE!"

"Geez, what happened to 'Baby?"

"Your dispute is with me not him."

"Yeah you're so right it is; you know what, I really am wondering about what _this thing _is here. Here I have known you _my whole life_ and you have lied to me repeatedly while I keep nothing from you! You're a demon? Fine! You fight spirit world crime? Cool! But what gets me are the lies that you had no reason to tell! Why bother to tell me you care about me when it's so obvious you don't?! You could have said nothing at all and it wouldn't have made any difference! But all of that bullshit you felt the need to tell me about you caring about me and considering me family? What purpose did that serve?! What outcome did you want?!" He broke eye contact with her and she felt her heart break along with it.

"Nothing…I wasn't looking for any outcome." Zoie looked at him and back at her but kept his tongue; he knew better than to speak out of his place.

"I can't trust you Shuichi…Kurama…_whoever he hell you are_; I can't trust you! I think…after the tournament we should just go our separate ways."

"You were never meant to be the fifth member of the team; I let you believe that so that you would train harder." Another hard blow to her heart made her drop her books to the ground like dead weight.

"Wow…it really is effortless for you isn't it? And the sad thing is, it isn't even the lying that hurts me so much; it's the fact that I literally tell you everything and you _feel the need_ to keep things from me. I trusted you with my life and you couldn't trust me with what was really on your mind. Don't you see how uneven this is?!" he looked at her with the same conflicted and tortured look in his eyes as that night in the tree and in that very brief exchange she realized that nothing about this made sense. His words weren't adding up even if they were lies; there was no consistency. He either didn't care about her or he did; but he wouldn't agree with her and yet look that way, so hurt himself. He was either taking her for a fool or he was protecting her; it cannot be both ways so which is he lying about?

"Then we may as well go our separate ways today then." She wasn't expecting this, she expected an explanation, an apology, even a half-assed one was better than this. As angry and hurt as she was she couldn't let him go, not like this. She sent her gears turning and retraced every moment that led to this point and sighed. She looked in his eyes again, and against her many promises she tried to read his thoughts. His mind was completely blocked; damn him, he knew how to close the door to his mind from her prying eyes even when they were little. She picked her books up off the ground and simply turned her back on him. She hid her tears from him as she looked to her hand and started to walk. Every step away felt like torture and she felt her chest tighten more as she wanted to scream at him, to beat his chest to shake him into his senses.

"Siera, hey, please don't cry; I know this hurts now but maybe it is for the best."

"No Zoie, something isn't right, he's hurt me and lied to me but the words do not add up to the actions."

"What do you mean?" She looked to her scar again before balling her fist.

"The blood doesn't lie… I am yin, and he is yang…we have balanced each other from the moment we met. If it weren't the case I would have known, I would have seen some indication wouldn't I?"

"Just because you balance each other doesn't mean you are meant to be friends. There are mortal enemies that are equally as balanced."

"So you're saying we should be mortal enemies? Maybe you're right, I have given him everything short of my heart and yet I feel like I don't even know him anymore. To be honest, here are moments when I am unsure whether I want to love him or destroy him…"

"That…is not healthy at all, even if what he had said that day meant what you thought-"

"What?!" Zoie kept walking, trying to find some other explanation to what he said.

"If that isn't what he meant then—" She played his words in her head again: _I'm just humoring the girl alright?! Whatever juvenile notions she has in her head are hers alone; you and I both know that it will never go any farther than what it is. It can't and it won't, too much is at risk to simply pacify a brat's fantasy!_

"They never intended for me to be the fifth member… that crafty son of a bitch! And you knew?! That's why you didn't want me to tell him?!" He stopped and turned to the little girl he had raised as she looked to him confused and hopeful.

"I knew he didn't want you to be a part of this; as for omitting the truth I was unaware. But once you told me what he had said to Hiei I felt there were…inconsistencies. I went to speak to him to find if my notions were correct, I apologize for betraying your trust."

"Then if what he said was about me being in the tournament…then it had nothing at all to do about that night. He let me believe that, he broke off our friendship just to keep me away? Well that pisses me off!"

"Oh Geez, what are you mad about now? I just told you the truth!"

"But he didn't, yeah I would have fought him but it's better than fooling me and playing with my emotions! And how dare he try to break off our friendship that goes against the best friend forever and ever code! I'll show him, he will regret this."

"I guess when they get back-"

"What do you mean, I'm going too."

"What?" She stood looking back in the direction of her best friend's house knowing he had long since gone. He was smart, but she was stubborn; this new anger she felt was different, more indignant than devastated and it felt much more refreshing.

"I'm still going, I'll just have to find my own team and then I will show him that I'm not a cream puff or damsel in distress for him to protect. Maybe I'll even win."

"What you're doing is reckless, you don't know what you're up against!"

"This time I know exactly what I'm up against." She turned away with a wicked smile on her lips as Zoie watched her in disbelief before chuckling at his own thoughts_. Call me a softie, but that girl is better with you than by herself, she's right, you two do balance each other and that balance must be maintained. It is for her good as well as yours; if you knew Korrin like I did, you would know that we are underestimating this girl without prejudice. This way she is off the team but there is still a chance for the two of you to mend this companionship. You will thank me later, all you have to do is survive and tell her the truth; and then I can finally call you friend._


	13. Chapter 13

13.

Kuwabara stood with Kurama and Hiei as they waited for the rest of the team to assemble for the trip. He was nervous and a little agitated that Yusuke was yet to show for something as important as this, which was typical for him.

"When is Urameshi supposed to be here anyway and he better have that fifth guy with him, were going to miss the boat because of him!"

"Kuwabara, have patience, he will be here."

"Hard to be patient, standing here with all these demons looking like they want to kick my ass."

"You should worry about them trying to eat you."

"Zoie?! What are you doing here?" The dog sighed, frustrated but unwilling to interfere.

"It's a long and very exasperating story, but to make it short, I'm here with my mistress." It was as he finished his sentence that Kuwabara felt the intense amount of energy fill the area but it wasn't overbearing like Toguro's, this spirit energy rolled in like a thick fog, endurable but unbearably noticeable but this was normal spirit energy. No, this felt dark and violent like pure rage melded with mischief; but inside it he could feel something else. Pain, indignance and insecurity; whoever this was approaching was hurting and willing to take any unfortunate soul along with them.

"Now Zoie, why so melancholy?" She was standing next to them and they hadn't noticed, never even saw her approach it was a little frightening. She was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans but something about her body language read of elegance and poise, even bewitchment; the surrounding demons took notice of the girl and whispered among themselves. She demanded attention of the room so to speak and she received it forthwith.

"What exactly do you think you're doing here girl; I was under the impression that you had gotten the hint that you were not invited. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and with Kuwabara already here we cannot afford any weaker links." Siera merely swiped her right hand like she was shooing a fly and Hiei stood stunned for a moment as the four large oaks adjacent to him slid and fell as they were cut. Everyone had eyes on her now, but what was more intimidating than the swift action was her calm, even nonchalant demeanor as she looked at her nails in boredom.

"And I was under the impression that we established that when you address me, you use my name. Also, I'm not here for you; I am entering the tournament myself with my own team."

"You can't be serious; where did you get a team from in such short notice?" she smiled as she pointed to the array of beings beyond.

"Some of them have bound to be good candidates." The demons however looked none too happy to oblige. She casually walked to the toughest looking group.

"I require a team, you bunch will do."

"Little girl, maybe you're a little lacking in manners but even if we weren't about to rip your body apart and eat your flesh for your insolence; we already have the members we need!" they glowered at her drooling at the opportunity of a meal before the ride. The guys watched on in curiosity of what it was that she planned to do. She counted the apparitions and came to six, five main members and a substitute.

"I see; well simple, just pick which one of you stays here and I will go in your place." Their leader who stood a good two feet over her charged forward having enough of her disrespect.

"Stupid bitch, I'll rip your head off!" Siera landed a punch square in his midsection with her fight hand, the force of which ripped him in half spraying entrails over the rest of them. She licked the demon's blood from her hand with a wicked smile, her eyes burning their trademark blue. Another team member tried to rush her from behind, she swiped his feet out from under him before kicking him upward in the chin, causing his head to go flying.

"Dear me, it seems there are two openings now; so how about it?" The rest of them complied to her request for fear they would meet the same fate.

"Seems she's gotten even stronger since I last saw her, as much as I hate to say it I'm impressed."

"You're impressed, didn't you guys feel that? So much malice…I know you felt how close she was o striking you directly Hiei, that was a warning shot if I ever saw one and she took those guys out without hesitation or remorse; it was like she enjoyed it." Kuwabara shivered, he felt something was very wrong with her, and what's worse he feared the repercussions of having this much ill intent with that much power.

"The thing that bothers me most isn't how quickly she took them out but how calm she was about it. It was like she was prepared to kill everyone here until they agreed to be on her team before she even arrived."

"She has something to prove, I know that much; and she won't stop until she does so." A high pitched whistle sounded and the dog padded away to that direction leaving the team with more to think about.

Siera just witnessed the show of her so called friends slaughtering nearly everyone on board the ship; well, except her team of course. She wouldn't allow it, she knew what they were capable of and even still she wasn't going to send anyone to harm them either.

"Come on boss, I really think together we can take em, especially after what you did to Ryo and Ki, you cn dispose of them easy."

"No, we are staying here; one, they will slaughter you in mere seconds just like the rest of them, two, even if only one of you is lost it will mean we forfeit the tournament. I don't know about you but those stakes are too high for me." They grumbled but fell back regardless; she continued to watch them, ecstatic at how strong they all had become.

"Alright now I didn't fight you on getting here, the least you can do is tell me what your plan is. You do realize that they don't have a choice but to fight in this thing, if you are trying to beat them and Toguro then you are idiotic as well as being childish."

"Why should I tell you? You'll just snitch on me."

"You have my word."

"I don't plan on winning this tournament, or fighting Toguro; I just want to fight and I want them to see it."

"And how long will this go on?"

Until I lose, or until they die making my team lose, they aren't that strong so I don't have a lot of faith in them; I just want them to see that I'm not weak I want to be equal to them. If it gets too bad I will secede; it would be foolish to lose my life over something like this."

"Bu what if you meet that opponent that wants you dead?!"

"This is the first round, I hope that by that time my team either dies off or I step down. Overall I want to fight at least three times."

"And what if in the off chance your team goes against them?"

"Then I will back out, I don't want to fight them; I don't want to win this thing I just want to be respected for once."

"This is a lot just to prove a point."

"If he had respected my feelings enough to tell me the truth I wouldn't have to. The answer was no from the beginning they didn't even consider me. But instead of telling me the truth he put on this elaborate lie."

"He just wanted you safe." She sat in silence; she could feel her anger ebbing away. No, she didn't want to fight them; she just wanted them to see that she could have been of use to them. Hiei referred to her as a weak link in the chain and that hurt her feelings, she wasn't weak, she just didn't have a chance to show them what she could do. Once she did that she would gracefully back down, and they would think twice before calling her weak again.

The ship arrived at Hanging Neck Island and what was left of the passengers quickly departed to the hotel. Siera paid for the room and handed her team the key card.

"Go freshen up, I ordered some food I will be up there soon."

"Uh, thanks. I mean the way you killed the last boss…"

"You seem pretty nice now is what we mean."

"But we don't take it for weakness at all!"

"No, not at all boss!"

"My name is Siera, and I don't want you to be afraid of me, but best believe you better respect me. Now go, and we will discuss our strategy for tomorrows fights." They left to the hotel room as she stayed to look around; she spotted the rich people in their private party. She read their thoughts and listened to their conversations and felt disgusted. Her friends were risking everything, fighting against their will and these assholes are not only making bets but reveling in their coming pain like they were animals. The more she thought about it the more she wanted to talk to them and apologize. She decided to go to her room to change clothes before facing them, but saw an exceptional silk cheongsam dress in a deep blue that happened to be on an exceptionally rich and privileged girl who was also betting on her friend's deaths. She followed the girl to that bathroom and with her power of persuasion switched clothes with her. Siera pulled her hair into an up do and she was all set, she looked like she was worth a few words at least, Bu she was still too nervous to face them, knowing she had been a fool. She walked to her room to check on her team first; when she opened the door she nearly tripped over the bodies of the apparitions she grew to almost like. They were slaughtered shortly before coming into the room, the food wasn't even touched. She quickly scanned the entryway for traps and she smelled it before she even saw it, lilacs. She caught the vine as it slithered back into the ventilation system and she knew what direction they had to go to.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" She swung the door open so hard it nearly flew off the hinges making them all jump, except Yusuke who was sleeping. Kurama stood, knowing he was in for quite the tongue lashing as Zoie sat up in apprehension.

"You killed them; you killed all of them so that I didn't even have a chance! You completely overlook me when I want to fight by your side, then when I make it here without you; you snatch it away from me without a second thought!"

"You and I know they were expendable to you, and you wouldn't have made it far anyway, they were weak."

"That was not your call to make! I'm tired of you dictating where I go and what I do! If I want to go off and fight some demons for reasons that are my own and I get hurt or killed that is my mistake to make! I'm tired of you taking any opportunity I have to find something outside of this shithole we call normal away from me!"

"I was just-"

"Trying to keep me safe, yeah that's all you ever say, that you want me safe! You want me so safe that you remind me to make lower grades and blend in with the rest of the class and stay home and twiddle my fucking thumbs! I don't have a family remember so I don't answer to you or anyone else you are not my damned father!"

"If that were the case you sure as hell wouldn't be standing here now would you?" She slapped him hard across the face without even thinking about it and instantly regretted it. She flashed back to the promise she made to him that she would never hurt him out of malice and she felt her heart break yet again. This time she was the one who forfeited their friendship; she had sworn that if she ever hurt him through ill intentions that they would no longer be friends. She trembled as tears filled her eyes and overflowed, coursing down her cheeks; it was rare that anyone see her cry. She looked up at him just one more time, there were visible scratches on his face and he was bleeding; she could only imagine the damage she would have inflicted if he hadn't dodged the bulk of it. She was so tired of feeling manipulated by him; even now she realized that he said that just to get this reaction so that she would have to go by her own oath to him and that brought her to a lowest low.

"I fucking hate you, you know that?" It was all she could manage to whisper to him before running away.

"That was not cool, how dare you speak to her that way?!" Zoie was now yelling at Kurama furious at his words, his lips curled in a vicious snarl.

"Hey what's going on, I don't get it; he only said that he was her dad she wouldn't be here!"

"That's because her father tried to kill her!" Kuwabara balked and looked to Kurama who looked downward.

"Her father killed her mother and came after her too, she killed him in self-defense; she was so emotionally distraught that she caused the quake that collapsed the building but they were dead before the first tremor. And _you_ were the _only other person who knew that_; it was _your_ arms she ran into and _you she confided in_ and you had the gall to turn that onto _her_, I should kill you!"

"Careful with your threats dog." Hiei unsheathed his sword and the air filled with thick tension Kuwabara stood stunned as he stared at Kurama who said and did nothing.

"You aren't worth it." Zoie turned to the door and left without another word.

"You have to apologize to her right now! You have to fix this, that wasn't right but you had your reasons! She will understand-"

"Kuwabara, just stop; it's over between us. She will either make me her enemy or simply despise me from afar for the rest of her life. Either one she chooses is fine; I will be ready when she makes her decision."

"You had to have felt that energy, it's like a volcano; when she erupts I can only imagine how horrible it will be for everyone involved. It's bad enough we have Toguro to deal with we don't need to fight amongst ourselves too!"

"There is nothing we can do about it now. We just prepare for tomorrow." The guys went to sleep apprehensive about what tomorrow will bring.


	14. Chapter 14

14.

"Okay so explain to me again why you can't just go talk to her! You know what you said was wrong and you hurt her really bad." The team walked onward in a somber manner in their way to the arena; Kuwabara carried Yusuke on his back as he was still sound asleep.

"It is simple, we made an oath long ago that if she were to harm me with ill intent then our friendship would end no questions asked. One cannot be friends with a person who wishes them harm." Kurama looked forward, an unapologetic tone in his voice.

"But you said that on purpose! If you didn't want to be friends anymore then you should have just said so, instead of breaking her heart that way! You didn't feel what I did, she…" Kuwabara stopped and shuddered as he looked around; the group stood amongst a crowd of demons and something very dangerous was approaching. The crowd seemed to part as Siera walked toward them. She wore a black mid-drift sweater and jeans with black boots, her hair in a high ponytail. Her whole demeanor seemed dark but it was her eyes, he was used to them turning blue; but her eyes in this moment were black, like two piercing onyx orbs seemed to burn Kuwabara from the inside like she had lit a literal fire inside his chest. He nearly doubled over in pain but was too afraid to break eye contact with her, she literally held him with her gaze with the same force as a clenched hand.

"Kazuma, I would appreciate it if you kept my name and my emotions out of your mouth."

"Y-yes, I understand." She then released him and looked at Kurama momentarily; she opened her mouth to speak as a demon came up and grabbed her ass, making the moment even tenser.

"Hey doll why is that mouth in a frown? I bet you would feel better with me in it!" She turned abruptly to the assailant looking at him with a smile on her face. She put something red and moist to her lips, taking a large bite as though it were an apple without breaking eye contact as the team behind her froze at a loss for words. The demon was confused at first and then turned pale when he realized she was holding his own heart in her hand.

"You're right, I do feel better." He fell to the ground as she laughed.

"What is wrong with you?! Do you possibly think this will make you feel better?! This isn't who you are!" She didn't acknowledge him but simply turned away still laughing.

"You have a lot of nerve to talk about someone being out of character." Zoie crept alongside them eyeing his mistress closely.

"I thought you were still angry with me."

"Oh I'm pissed; in fact I opted to her that we kill you."

"And?"

"She won't allow it; it's just as I told you."

"Naturally, her loyalty runs deeper than her hatred."

"Just so you know, my loyalty lies with my mistress; if she gave me the order last night I would've ripped your head clean off."

"And now?"

"Damn you… as shitty as it was I see what you are doing; and as much as I hate to see her feel this way I respect your logic behind it. But that is the thing; knowing how deep her loyalty runs, do you really think this spat will make things easier for her? And what will happen if you do survive this, she never stays mad at you long so are you going to keep being an ass to her to save face?"

"So what, you're trying to make her mad so that if anything happens to you she won't be sad? That doesn't sound like a very good plan especially with everything I'm picking up from her."

"That is another thing Kuwabara, what did she say to you?"

"To not talk about her, or her emotions." Zoie looked down in deep thought

"Of course, you have the shield; we had wondered what it meant. Everything she is hiding emotion wise you pick up like a sponge; even feel them like your own don't you? What are you getting now?"

"Yeah, it's weird, she really is sad more than angry but she isn't showing that at all."

"Fascinating, I will want to know more." A whistle sounded and he took off without hesitation. The team approached the arena and tried to prepare for their upcoming battle.

"Siera would you please talk to me, you will feel better when you talk."

"I'm angry Zoie, I'm hurt and I'm angry that I'm hurt."

"I understand that, no one blames you for that."

"But I blame myself."

"Why?"

"If I wasn't so damned hard-headed it wouldn't have come to this. If I had stayed home or at least stayed out of the tournament my team wouldn't have died and I would still have my best friend."

"Is it really fair to call them your teammates if you didn't learn their names?"

"Kitu, Jubi, Harune and Yabi."

"Well excuse me. I mean they would have died eventually they wanted to try their luck with the guys on the boat remember."

"Yeah…"

"So look at it this way, you actually extended their lives; even if it was by just several hours at least there was that. So don't fret over that."

"I guess so; but he went through all of this just to keep me out of it." She watched on to her ex-best friend disheartened as he stepped forward to begin his own match. She looked to the opposing member and read his thoughts and she went pale.

"He's going to use Shiori as a hostage, that guy will have her killed if K fights back!"

"Holy shit, that's really playing dirty." Siera began to hyperventilate and gripping her seat tightly.

"This is all my fault, this is all my fault; if I had stayed home she wouldn't be in danger!"

"Hey don't do that, no one could have known this would happen!"

"He told me to stay home! I could have checked in on her, protected her!" She remembered back to when she was only ten; she sat at the table with Kurama as they did their homework together as was their evening routine. Shiori brought them hot chocolate and a few cookies.

"Thank you mother!"

"Yes, thank you very much Shiori!"

"You two are studying so hard, you deserve a little break. Oh dear I forgot the whipped cream.."

"Oh I'll get it mother, you don't worry about it!" Kurama leapt up and went to the kitchen and it was then Shiori noticed what was written on Siera's notebook _Siera Minamino _. Embarrassed Siera covered it quickly and looked at her with panicked eyes. Shiori smiled as she knelt down to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But if it makes you feel better, I would like that idea very much as well."

"Really?"

"I have always looked at you like my own daughter; you are such a sweet and wonderful girl. I know Korrin is so thrilled to be raising such a smart, pretty and good natured young lady and Shuichi would be lucky to have you." Siera began to tear at her words, it was the first time anyone had spoken to her this way.

"And even if it doesn't, I will always see you as my own." She hugged her close and they laughed.

Siera watched on crying hysterically now and shaking.

"Hey calm down look, he got the upper hand!" she saw as the dirty trickster had erupted into a bloody bouquet of wildflowers, sealing Kurama as the victor.

"That was pretty smart of him." Siera got up instantly and rushed to ringside, bounding over the barrier and leaping into Kurama's arms catching him completely off guard.

"Is she okay?! Is everything going to be okay?!" She was hysterical and crying; Kurama wiped her face with his sleeve and held her by her shoulders.

"Everything is fine." She sniffled and looked to the ground shuffling her feet.

"I have been a fool…better yet a total bitch to you. I know you have only been doing what's best for me; but I was too involved in my hurt ego to listen. If I had been home instead of here…"

"That is not your fault!" She looked into his eyes and saw the same caring friend she always had and hugged him close laying her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean for all of this to happen between us, can you ever forgive me? I just want to be friends again…"

"No…not friends…" Kurama sighed pushed her back, as she sniffled again he held up his pinky with a cheesy smile and she laughed.

"Best friends forever?"

"And ever, now go back to your seat before they call security." She smiled and turned slowly a huge weight off her shoulders.

"What so now you guys are all good again?"

"It would appear so; I cannot force her away any more than I can make her hate me it seems."

"But…you see how dangerous she is, that she can be…how the hell can you be so calm about it?!"

"Kuwabara…if you cannot love someone at their worst, then you don't deserve them at their best. This rage that she has is just a mask; a mask that she made and place on herself, to hide a scared pure hearted and fragile little girl." Kuwabara nodded in agreement as he turned back to the announcer when she started talking. Kurama looked back in the direction of his once again best friend and smiled ever so slightly. _I cannot push her away any more than she can try to pull. We know each other too well; know the others motives too well. She can be so cold and yet love so deeply; to be honest I knew she would forgive me, even for this. Yes, this rage is a mask she has placed on herself; hiding a scared pure hearted fragile little girl. And that fragile little girl is the one I love._


	15. Chapter 15

15

"You guys were fighting, must not have been that serious if I slept through the whole thing." Yusuke muttered in between bites of his breakfast as they all sat around eating. Hiei had disappeared early that morning which didn't cause too much alarm. Siera sipped on her juice as she sat next to Yusuke and across from her best friend completely at ease again.

"Oh yeah, it was just a little tiff; nothing to be concerned about, you didn't miss anything." Zoie scoffed as he lay at Siera's feet.

"Right, but I'm sure that dude that lost his heart misses that."

"You have something to say?!" Siera placed her cup down on the table, an air of rigidity forming.

"No, I mean you're right it was nothing: No demons were massacred in the making of the dumpster fire that was your fight."

"I do regret that; and you're right their deaths weren't excusable. Except for the creep who put his hands on me and the guys who came at me first, I don't feel sorry for them. As for my teammates, I buried them, marked their graves and said a prayer I may be a bitch but I'm not heartless."

"Ha ha; I guess that's you, a bitch with a heart of gold!" The cup shattered into pieces and the air grew tense again. Yusuke looked confused as Siera and Zoie glared at him.

"What did I say?"

"Sorry Yusuke; it's just that it's more of an inside joke." Kurama chuckled hoping to ease the sudden tension. He knew them both and to have them both get reckless at the mouth could cause problems

"Yeah you see, _we_ can call her a bitch because we mean it in the_ literal_ term. When someone else calls her that, especially in a disrespectful way it's sort of a trigger."

"Well I don't really see a difference, a bitch is a bitch."

"Yeah you would know all about that wouldn't you?"

"What did you say?!"

"I didn't stutter!"

"Siera, please…"

"NO! He wants to have a conversation then let's have one!"

"Conversation, is that what you call throwing people around like their ragdolls, acting like a spoiled child until you get your way. Is that someone who can really hold a conversation?"

"Says the motherfucker who literally uses his fists to make his way anywhere; you spend so much time going off halfcocked and fully fucked that it's a miracle you haven't died a dozen more times! You don't form any strategy in your battle; you just start swinging around hoping something works!"

"Oh like you're one to talk! Every five minutes you throw a temper tantrum trying to intimidate someone until they cave to you! You only think about yourself and your own ego, if you thought even a little bit about what others go through you wouldn't pout like the spoiled little BITCH you are!"

"Spoiled…ha! Alright, let me see, I pay my own bills I cook my own food I fight my own battles and I make my own rules. I answer to no one because I _have no one_ and even if I did, I still wouldn't. If I feel like killing a motherfucker that looks at me wrong then it's his fault for waking up that morning. But you better believe I have a plan on how to carry it out before I even meet the guy. I am a bitch, but I am the TOP bitch and you will either submit or be made my bitch!"

"Oh waaa, your parents died, get over it already! No one is going to feel sorry for you when you act like that." Everyone watched and listened as they went back and forth not knowing what to say or to intervene; their words sounded hostile yet their body language said that they were having a casual conversation. Siera looked to Yusuke interested before crossing her legs and leaning back.

"Who says I want them to feel sorry? I would rather they feel pain, fear and intimidation."

"Do I look like someone to intimidate? You're starting to piss me off."

"Do I look like I give a fuck that you're pissed off?"

"Nope, I guess not." They continued eating without another word; the others confused as they watched them both and whispered.

"Uhhh, I'm confused."

"You? I feel like I just watched a nature documentary."

"I believe what happened is that they just sized each other up; they weighed their odds and came to an understanding."

"How do you gather that?" Kurama pointed to the table with the broken cup pieces, they were arranged neatly into two rows, one in front of her and one for Yusuke with four apiece.

" What the…?"

"They took a damn tally."

"And they came to a draw; they both made very valid points about each other. And so simply came to an understanding."

"Those two aren't going to admit to each other they are wrong, they're both too stubborn; ironic two people who are known to pick fights and handle them in the open would be so discrete." Kuwabara thumbed his nose.

"She has respect for him."

"If you say so, I'm just happy no one else had their heart ripped out, this girl is tiring me out." Zoie laid back down the two shook their heads and chuckled at the thought of two of the most confrontational people actually make peace.

Siera looked to the spirit detective in admiration, it wasn't often someone would talk to her that way and not back down. She admired it, it meant that he means what he says and that is the type of person she could trust. But she wouldn't bind herself to him, no, there was something missing that kept there from being an actual connection; but just the same she felt no ill will towards him. The men got up to do their own thing and she felt herself being left behind again.

"Kuwabara, what are you going to do today?"

"Huh? Well, I don't know really; everyone just took off without a word."

"Would you like to hang out then, we could train or watch fights or just explore the grounds if you like." He looked at her confused, there were plenty of times she made fun of him just as the others had, even beat on him, but the moment an outsider did so she was quick to his defense.

"Hey why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"

"I don't understand, we are friends aren't we?"

"Well yeah, it's just usually you're picking on me and junk getting mixed signals."

"Doesn't everyone else do the same and you call them friends? I thought that was simply the thing to do. I could stop, it would be less fun, I would have to find some other source of joy but for you it is a challenge I am willing to accept." She placed the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically and Kuwabara simply shook his head.

"I guess it's alright, I mean you do it for fun while sometimes I wonder if the others even like me at all. They always treat me like I'm some sort of idiot or something. Sometimes I wonder if I'm not just around for their amusement."

"Kazuma… You are a very important member of the team; you have your own unique powers that you are still learning. That doesn't make you weak and it surely doesn't make you less valuable, you're young, and you just need more practice. I'm still learning about myself every day; yo want to see something?" He stopped a moment and felt uneasy, remember the dark energy he had felt from her only the day before, it was nothing less than bloodlust and hatred. But that was not found in this girl today it was like a completely different person.

"Yeah sure."

"Okay, well as you heard, my mother could command lesser beings with the sound of her voice, she would command telepathically of course but if she wanted several at one time, an invocation was needed."

"So like what Rando had did t me, do you need special words or spells?"

"No, the words do not matter, but the sound does, I don't know how to explain it, you are aware so I'm hoping you can help me."

"Sure." She took deep breaths and cleared her mind, she began to sing a melody _A loving touch is what quells the fires of hell, but my hell burns bright and my heart caged cries out, lying, saying all is well _birds and small animals flocked to her, wrapping themselves around her almost as in loving embraces.

"Wow, kind of like some kind of princess! Um, it was weird, like your energy spread across the area and all the animals in that range just answered the call."

"Interesting; okay now what about this?" She sings the same words but a different tune; low calss demon creatures soon flock to her feet most grumble unintelligible words but some professed their devotion to her.

"That seemed like it was stronger but different, it definitely brought a different audience."

"Hmm. Okay, I wondered about it. I can also make them d what I please, fetch me things, attack each other and themselves, at maze castle I commanded a demon to kill himself and he broke his own neck."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I am learning about my own abilities every day but I know I have a long way to go. I don't consider myself strong or invincible. I in fact don't think very much of myself at all." Damn, why did I say that, what did it have to do with anything? She refused to look to him embarrassed at her vulnerability.

"What are you kidding me?!, you are incredible, the way you took those guys out before was amazing but it was scary at the same time! And the way you snatched that other guys heart out was frightening enough but you ate it right in front of him… it still gives me shivers. It made me wonder how far you would go to get what you want." An awkward silence fell between them and she turned around wringing her hands as she bit her lip.

"You see, i know I did those things, but I don't remember the details, like one moment I was standing in front of them, the next they were in pieces."

"That's even worse, being in a blind rage like that, you could've hurt innocent people; and all because you were mad at Kurama! Why couldn't you just tell him how you feel instead of acting so abrasive every time you have a disagreement?"

"You don't understand, I would be of no use to him. He is so kind and I'm so…angry. I know he cares about me, but he doesn't love me, that I know and saying something would only ruin what we do have between us."

"So you sacrifice the lives of those demons over a disagreement; because you are too afraid to speak your heart! How are you supposed to be friends if you can't trust each other with your own feelings?! Innocent people died because you were pissed off!

"Don't preach at me! Who in that clearing was innocent?! Who on that boat was innocent? Who here is innocent; I hear their perverse thoughts, their ill intentions and their ulterior motives human or demon they are all sick and depraved. You are either corrupted or you are a victim of corruption!"

"So what are you?" She looked to her hands and flashes of fire and screaming flood her mind for a moment before silence numbs her completely.

"That is a question I have asked myself for years."


	16. Chapter 16

16.

"You have to; this is for our own good!"

"No, I'm not going to do this, don't make me!"

"We have to; death is an inevitable debt for our sins!"

"Mama, Daddy?"

"Siera…get out of here, run away now!"

"MOM!" Siera awoke with a start sweating and out of breath, she hated that nightmare.

"What are you doing?!" Zoie barged into her bedroom a look of urgency on his face."

"What do you mean…what time is it?"

"Near noon."

"What?" She leapt from the bed, instantly feeling dizzy she fell to her knees.

"I slept for fourteen hours, how am I so tired?" Zoie looked to the thrashed about room and back to his mistress,

"You had that dream again."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, I wouldn't have let you see what you had. Korrin had sent me to make another deposit, no one saw that coming." Zoie nuzzled her close that she hugged him briefly before throwing on a pair of jeans.

"We have to go, do you know what's going on?"

"Last I saw, Hiei and Kurama weren't there and the others were in this three on three match; it isn't looking good because they don't want to fight. The other team members are being controlled by some ugly troll and their lives are completely expendable. It's horrible."

"That is horrible….wait Hiei and Kurama aren't there?!"

"They didn't show, neither did two of the Ichigaki team members either."

"That's a set up if I ever heard one." Damn…just yesterday Kuwabara was yelling at her bout endangering innocent people and yet here there was a perfect example of the victim prey relationship in action. But then, did she have room to judge when she had done the same? No, she had bought them dinner and champagne, she wanted to get to know them and they died before that happened. In the first moment she had thought the same, but she didn't want them to fight alongside her if they couldn't trust her. But then, if she was thinking that way even for a moment wouldn't that still make her just a bad?

They walked on to the stadium and she presented her ticket, the constant thought of those students tormenting her as well as her own choices. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going when she ran into a group of young men and one older man.

"Oh! Excuse me, please forgive my ignorance, I wasn't watching where I was going." She bowed deeply to their elder who smiled at her warmly. She looked into his eyes and saw the last several minutes.

"You…you're all alright? Did Yusuke and his team make it?" They looked to each other confused.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara helped us, they freed us from that wicked doctor, we owe them everything."

"Oh, that's wonderful, where are they?"

"They are still fighting; the next round was started immediately."

"What?"

"And what's worse is that two of the team members were forced to stay in the medical tent and Kuwabara is too injured to fight. They have to win five rounds with only two of them." Siera felt the sharp breath in her chest before running away without another word with Zoie at her heels. She made it to the stands and all breath left her as Kurama was fighting some man using ice; as she ran to the front she could tell that he was hurt and she felt a surge of guilt in her heart.

"Zoie… what is going on, why is this happening?" she didn't expect him to answer she wasn't really asking for one. She felt dizzy again as her dream along with all of the information from today flooded her. The committee made this go on, they had no rest between rounds, this obviously wasn't a fair fight but an execution.

"Did…he just put his death plant in his own body?" She gasped horrified

"From what I can her I don't think he could use his energy, he needed to get to it and it was the only way." She clutched her chest in awe and disbelief, of course her best friend was smart enough to think of that but she hurt for him, she hated to see him this way.

"Siera, he passed out." She looked up and sure enough he was unconscious on his feet. Good, it's over he will be alright. But to her horror a big boorish man climbed into the ring and demanded to fight. But they couldn't allow that, he wasn't conscious and obviously too injured to go on! _The next match will be Bakken Vs Kurama, a fighter standing in the ring cannot be forced from the ring…_..She didn't hear the rest, her mind and heart completely fell into a pit of darkness and as that animal bashed on the person she loved the most she felt that darkness grow tighter around her.

"Stop it…stop hurting him…leave him alone…LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The committee allowed-no, they demanded this go on, those rich entitled humans bet on their lives like they were garbage and those demons thirsted for their blood like they were nothing but animals. They didn't even _want_ to be here, he wanted to be home, with Shiori; all just wanted to go on with their lives and yet here they are fighting for their lives as victims of corruption.

Zoie looked to his mistress as her cherished friend was enduring abuse and he felt a sense of dread come over him. She started out crying hysterically and then as moments went on her tears ebbed and in their place emptiness filled her eyes. He felt the dark rage flow from her and engulf her like a flame. Korrin had mentioned it once before, called it hell's scorn. If used as the attack those it touches has the fate of having their flesh melt from their bones; however she didn't go further as she never expected her daughter to learn it if she never taught it to her. And yet here she is, a black aura surrounding her and rage pulsing in the air.

"Siera…talk to me, please." She said nothing her eyes gone completely black and her face expressionless. Yusuke had since stepped into the ring and was handling the situation but there was no relief on her face, in fact there was nothing. She still kept her eyes on the ring however, and when Bakken was thrown through the wall giving Yusuke the victory she said nothing but simply turned and walked away.

She ran down ringside sliding next to her best friend, he looked so fragile as she put her arms around him and put his head to her chest. The moment she looked at him again she felt the darkness ebb but it was still there, like a receding shoreline before the tidal wave. She cried as she held him close to her heart.

"This isn't fair, this… none of this should have happened. Oh K, look what he did to you." She gently brushed his hair from his battered face and a stab of anger met her heart. Tears filled her eyes again and she sobbed as she held him.

"You can't leave me okay, you can't; I love you too much to let you go. Do you hear me; I love you, I always have and if you leave me, if you die…" She couldn't finish the sentence. She could feel that he would be alright as long as this plant was removed. She glanced at the plant that was embedded in his arm and touched it gingerly; she could control sentient living things to a point, why not? _Come out, come on._ She tried to coax it out of his body and it moved, some, but not enough to be of any good. Did plants even have minds to control or was it simply responding to her energy? Fully frustrated, she laid him back carefully and stood, her heart sinking back into that dark abyss. She had questioned what sort of person she was, if she had thoughts of manipulation then she wasn't better than her friends' abusers. But if the only options were to either be a victim or the corrupted then she would rather drag the perpetrators down to hell along with her, there were so many at fault and so little time to waste.

She found herself in a pile of rubble, staring at a body of a large man; the back of her mind knew what was going on, but it was like she wasn't truly there but watching through a fog. The small movement of his chest brought her full attention forward and she moved her hand forward to finish him but stopped short. No…that is too easy. To be wiped away from existence so quick and painlessly is hardly a punishment at all. And then she looked to him once more and checked his pulse. It was weak but with time he just might recover from his wounds, a smiled formed on her lips as his eyes opened hazily and painfully. And she placed her hand on him and gave her some of her energy his breathing became deeper and her heart skipped as he looked at her with cloudy eyes before falling back into unconsciousness.

"Yes Bakken…sleep, rest well and in peace. It will be the last peace you ever feel."

Zoie paced for the rest of the day and into the evening as he hadn't found his mistress since she had walked away from him. He couldn't even sense her; she was purposefully blocking herself from him and it worried him. The last words he heard from her was to about Kurama's well-being, once she heard he was alright she shut her mind away. Everyone else kept to their own thoughts, a wall of silence surrounding every individual. He slipped into one of the bedrooms where Kurama was resting; by now he was sitting up, to everyone's relief he only looked worse than he really was.

"Zoie, have you heard from her?" Funny, he should be focused on his wounds and yet each time he walked in he asked about her; another reason he enjoyed his company.

"No, she is blocking her thoughts from me; the last thing I had heard was to not follow her. I tried to track her scent but she covered it with some chemical I only made it a couple of miles before I lost her."

"She will come back; it isn't like her to stay gone like this."

"It isn't that…it isn't like her to be away from you like this. You didn't see her; she was already in a bad place. Seeing that, knowing what those horrible people upstairs are doing and have done I think t broke her and she fell within herself. Tell me; have you heard of Hell's Scorn?" The look in Kurama's eyes only pressed his fears further and he leapt into the bed with him, which was something he had never done and Kurama scratched him gently on the neck, a move he had refrained from himself until now.

"Let's go look for her, we can split up and cover more ground." He moved to get up and Zoie only laid a large paw on his leg.

"There isn't a point in looking for her if she doesn't want to be found. And you need to rest, she would only be pissed at me if she found out I let you go running around when you're injured."

"When is she not angry?" They both chuckled and soon an awkward silence fell between them.

"She finally told me." Zoie's head snapped up at that.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was in and out but it was her voice, her scent…she told me that she loves me."

"And what are you going to do with that?"

"To be honest, I do not know; my options are to simply pass it off as though I hadn't heard her and go from there. There are still many chances for us to not make it out alive, I don't think-"

"She will be the same no matter what, you push her away and she pulls you close; you even tried to make her hate you; yet she is much more logical than we both give her credit for."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"She isn't like the other one; you know that."

"This isn't about her!"

"Then what are you hiding from her, I see it in you; you care about her, hell I might believe you love her too. I also see a secret that you are keeping, what are you hiding?"

"I have a lot of secrets; I have centuries of regrets and sins I have yet to atone for; which from the list would you like to choose?"

"You are old, I thought as much; I just…" Zoie sighed as he looked toward the blackened window.

"Forgive me for my bias; I see her when she is with you and she is so much better, happier. Her heart is so broken and she is confused and I don't know how to help her. But when she is with you, she is much more at peace; you have to be able to see that. I want what is best for her and from my point of view that _appears_ to be you. If you simply do not feel that I way I can understand, but everything you do is to protect her including attacking her weakest points to keep her alive. She isn't just my mistress, she is also my ward; I have watched her from an infant and I love her as my own daughter at times." Zoie laid his head down and again Kurama gently stroked the troubled canine.

"She won't be gone long, I know it."

"I know; I just worry of what will happen until then." _Korrin…how do I help her now?_

Bakken awoke with a sharp gasp, the events of the day came rushing back and his first instinct was to move but he found his wrists and ankles bound, he was also tied down at the neck. He began to hell coarse angry words into the night air, challenging his attacker.

_Coward._ A searing pain touched his arm and he screamed as he watched his own flesh blister and melt away leaving the word coward in its place.

"Who is doing that?! Come out and face me, calling me a coward, you're the one hiding!"

_No Bakken, you are the coward._ Several wolves surrounded him snarling menacingly their many pairs of eyes glowing yellow in the moonlight. Siera stepped into the light a dark aura surrounding her and a look of bloodlust in her eyes.

"What do you want?! Stupid bitch let me go, you think I'm scared of you?!" She said nothing but smiled another branding placing itself into his skin as he screamed in pain.

"Do you expect me to beg, do you expect me to talk or plead for my life you little skank?!" An electric shock struck his body sending pain through his entire body causing him to bite deeply into his own tongue.

"No Coward, I expect you to die, but not for a long…_long time_. You see I don't need you to be tied down; I control every muscle, every nerve… every image you see belongs to me. When I feel you need a lesson in manners you will get a shock, when you try to fight back you will be beaten, when you act stupid you will be reminded why you are here."

"Then why am I tied down?" She smiled so wickedly as she gestured to the circle of wolves.

"For theatrics mostly I love suspense; but really so you don't hurt my babies." The wolves then proceeded to attack, working together to gnaw off his hands and feet at the ankles as he screamed in agony and anger.

"When my team finds you-"

"_Your team_ abandoned you when you embarrassed them by being a boorish and ignorant _COWARD!"_ Another branding she waited patiently for the screaming to subside before she continued.

"Trust me, what's left of them, aren't coming for you". The fury in his eyes left him and she felt a thrill in her chest.

"Let you ask you this; a cat hunts a mouse, the mouse cannot fight back or run away. The cat does not hunt for food but for pleasure. The other animals plead for the mouse's life but the pleas fall on deaf ears. The blood sends him pleasure and soon the cat annihilates its prey. Is the cat considered evil?" She waited for his breath to steady and think about what she was saying; maybe if he played along with her game she would free him.

"No, it is survival of the fittest, the mouse died because it was weak, whether it was for food or pleasure is irrelevant. And the pleas for help only show the weakness of the other animals." She laughed as she sat over his chest with a big cheesy grin as the fear began to finally settle in.

"Who are you…what do you want from me?" Her smile sent chills in his spine as branded him yet again.

"I'm the dog, and I'm coming for the cat to get my turn."


	17. Chapter 17

17.

"Mrs. Mitsiku, I have to say that I'm concerned; this is the third time this month that Siera has assaulted another student. This one suffered a bloody nose and a bruise to his shoulder; I have to call their parents and I can only hope they don't press charges."

"And what was this over?"

"They were simply playing a game and it seems that Siera had gotten offended-"

"They were making fun of him." Siera interjected; she looked to the floor as both the primary teacher and her mother gazed down upon her. She felt the soft yet stern hand of her mother stroke her head and she lifted her gaze to her beautiful blue eyes.

"Who _Aijou_; who were they making fun of?"

"Shuichi, Mama—" she felt the pressure of her mother's thumb just behind her ear; it was soft and subtle, but a signal Siera knew well; mind the information you speak.

"I…saw them approach him, and I they said some mean words to us and I thought they would hurt him and me too so i hit them."

"Now Siera those were only words, they-"

"Words hurt too! They can hurt worse than any beating!" she interrupted the teacher in hostility and tension rose in the small office.

"Child…" another warning.

"Excuse my insolence for speaking out of turn." She bowed to the teacher near tears and the adults kept talking. It wasn't fair, if she were to do bad at home she would get punished; these children were bad and yet she was still being punished. Where was the justice?

"My daughter has her father's sense of righteousness; what's wrong is wrong and you must take correction when wrong is done that is how she is being raised. We both know these children have been terrorizing others since the school year began and that they have hurt many times more students than my daughter yet here we sit before you while those brats sit at home eating candy and learning nothing of their actions." Siera looked up as her mother looked fixatedly into the teachers eyes. She had always loved how beautiful her mother was, her pale flawless complexion with her naturally red lips and cerulean eyes, down to the raven hair that reached far below her back that she had currently tied in a braid. She had once told the story that men we so stricken by her beauty and women so envious that they tried to replicate it and the humans created the geisha. Siera could only hope to be as wonderful as her one day.

"Am I incorrect?"

"Well yes…"

"Then why are we still here, if all my daughter had done was stand up for herself?"

"Well…I suppose I can let her off with another warning and speak to the parents of the other children…I suppose you can go." Korrin and Siera stood and abruptly left.

"Just because you know what they are thinking of doing, doesn't mean you punish them."

"But Mama they were mean!"

"That may be, but you cannot punish a sin that has not been committed, doing so turns your punishment into a sin itself understand?"

"Yes Mama. What is a sin?" She stopped walking and turned to her six year old who was already so wise, too wise for her own good; and deep down she feared that the depth of her intelligence combined with her innocent eyes would tear her apart.

"A sin is something that is wrong; but in order to commit a sin you have to know it is wrong first. It is all about what the mind intends to do, which is why we know a liar when we see one and how you knew those boys were going to hurt you."

"They were mean to Shuichi too, called him a girl, and said he was too pretty to play with them. They wanted to beat him up, Shuichi said that just because they wanted to doesn't mean they could and to not worry about them because their words didn't bother him, but they made me so mad! You don't treat people that way when they were minding their own business."

"Yes _Aijou_…you are right, you have your father's righteousness in you alright. But understand something; some fights are not yours."

"Shuichi is part of my pack Mama, we are family and those who hurt him hurt me!"

"They were thoughts Siera, they had not been committed yet, and this is why I tell you now. You will become the very thing you despise if you fight wars that have yet to be waged."

"So I wait for them to hit me first, even if I know they are going to do it?"

"I'm saying find another way, use your words; or even fight back without such force I taught you that much."

"Yes Mama." They we halfway home when a passing thought made her mother stiffen and Korrin stopped again and clutched her daughter's shoulder as she turned her sharply.

"Shuichi knows…He knows what we are?"

"Y-yes, I.."

"WHY DID YOU TELL HIM?!" Siera began to cry frightened, it wasn't often her mother raised her voice.

"He is my best friend, like you and Shiori." She thought a moment and sighed before releasing her grip. She knew her daughter loved that child as she did his mother; their level of kindness was like a drug compared to what she used to know. But Korrin's love was different, it was within reason; she would risk life and limb for Shiori but would never think of telling her that she was an apparition. Her daughter however, trusted Shuichi unconditionally and thus allowed him into their world without a second thought; if only she knew how dangerous that was.

"How long has he known what you are?"

"Over three years..." The shock was evident on her face, Siera couldn't understand what was so wrong; she trusted her best friend they were even bounded by blood, in her eyes her secret was completely safe with him.

"Will he tell anyone, have you searched his mind that he may tell our secret?"

"Well, no…"

"No?!"

"It's not that I didn't try, it's just that...he won't let me. I can't read his thoughts." Korrin kept walking both in awe and afraid. If this child knew of their secret, there is opportunity for it to spread; she and her child could be hunted or worse they would be sent to demon world, a place that her beloved daughter could never survive. She loved Shiori; but she had no qualms with killing her son to keep her daughter safe.

"You won't touch him…" She had never heard a tone like that from her daughter and it frightened her. The grip of her small hand caused hers pain, like she were the one being reprimanded. They looked each other in the eye and Korrin gasped as she saw the darkness in her daughter's eyes. _Could she possess it? No, she is but a child, it takes centuries to channel that much anger into raw power…_ She slapped Siera hard in the face making those who passed by flinch and stare momentarily.

"You misunderstand my role child, or else you would think many times before speaking to me in that manner." _Would she lash out?_ Their silence was broken by soft sobbing as Siera looked back to her mother, her eyes back to their normal brown.

"Forgive me Mama!" She bowed sobbing heavily.

"If you want to keep him; I suggest you keep him in line. Make sure he tells no one; of course if it truly has been this long then we may be able to trust him after all. But I will be mindful of him from this point forward. Tell me little one; would you choose your human friend over your own mother?"

"I could ask if you would choose your pride over your daughter's happiness." Damn that smart mouth of hers.

"_I choose your life over your happiness_; understand this, the moment I feel that boy will put you in danger he _will_ die."

"And what about Shiori, you would let her be heartbroken for the rest of her life, like you would be for me, would you kill her too if it served your purpose?"

"If my purpose was to keep you alive then yes I would; and even if it was to quell her broken heart, I would be merciful in that sense."

"That is unacceptable Mama; you speak of finding other ways in situations and yet would spill the blood of the people we care about and for what? So Shuichi knows he has from the beginning and you don't trust my judgment?"

"You are but a child you know nothing of what it truly is to be Yokai and certainly not about judgment."

"What happened to not punishing sins yet to be committed?"

"I am already doomed; what is one more sin?"

A faint light creeps into the darkness as Bakkens' groaning becomes louder the closer Siera walks. She dropped her large sack and follows the heavy trail of blood to the large mass of mutilated man trying desperately to escape.

"My, aren't we full of energy?" She shoves her sharp nails into one of his open wounds like a handhold making him scream before dragging him back where he started. He whimpered pitifully as she watched him, anger and titillation in her eyes.

"See Coward, I told you to stay put, you just don't listen do you?" Another electric shock this one making him convulse even after it was over.

"It's very rude to leave a party when you are an honored guest don't you think? I had this whole thing planned for you and you want to run away and leave me." She pouted mockingly as she knelt before him, waiting for him to catch his breath before branding him again.

"Please…have mercy…"

"Aha! I wondered when all of the 'damn you's and 'you won't get away with this's would take a turn. So you want mercy huh?"

"Please…have…mercy…" She replayed that memory in his head and he shuddered.

"Did you have mercy on him, when he couldn't fight back, couldn't run away or even speak up for himself? Did your heart sway when others spoke up for him?"

"Please…I'm sorry…"

"Aww…you're sorry? Well gee Bakken, I guess that changes everything then, I suppose I'll let you go as long as you're sorry."

"Really?"

"Fuck no." Another shock and three more brandings.

"You forgot what I said already, I expect you to die; that is what I want, but not until you are truly sorry. And I don't mean for hurting him, I mean sorry for the day you were born, that you were lead to that day in the first place. Then will you be allowed to die; get this in your thick skull now, you will not leave here alive. The only convincing you will have to do is if you want to die slow or slower?" A loud wail cut through the conversation and Siera skipped to the large sack that was ten feet away. She ripped it open and dumped the beautiful Ruka onto the ground, naked and terrified.

"Please don't hurt me, I didn't mean any harm; I was just paid to hold them that was all!"

"You knew what you were doing, and what's worse you did it out of greed. You hold no compassion in your heart, and for that you will be punished."

"Who are you to judge me, do you think you're better than me?!"

"No, I am full of violence, wrath and distaste I am not suitable to be in contact with those I care about or anyone for that matter and for that I must be punished. I will rid this world of every unsuitable person I come across, not to atone, but to drag them to hell right alongside me, if I am doomed already, what is one more sin?" Rukas gaze fell onto Bakkens horrific body and she began to scream in terror.

"Please, don't loop me in with that monster; I didn't harm anyone I was just doing what they told me to do!"

"You're right Ruka; for that I will let you go."

"You will?"

"Yes go, I won't chase you or punish you for running away." Ruka didn't hesitate to get on her feet and run. Siera stood and waited several minutes before she ran back into the clearing where she started.

"What is this?!"

"You are right, you didn't harm anyone; you just held them against their will; and for that you will suffer the same. You see dear, you put your prey in a box, I entrap their minds." She runs away again and Siera turns back to Bakken with a smile of ill intent on her lips.

"Now where were we?"

"I really expected her to be back by now, at least to check on you; this has gotten me worried sick."

"I don't expect her to be around me all of the time, she has her own life."

"You underestimate her, yes she has her own life but she is very territorial; hell I will say it she can be possessive, especially when it comes to you. Her mother told me once she threatened her over you."

"What?"

"Yup, Korrin found out you knew what they were and thought about taking care of the situation so to speak, Siera was not having that. She loved her mother more than anything, think of what she would do to someone else who came at you?"

"Yes, she had a record two inches thick because of her fights at primary school alone."

"Which is why I'm afraid for whatever poor soul she set her sights on; you didn't see her when she walked away."

"Maybe she came back and is asleep in her room; I'll go up and check." Kurama left towards the hotel and Zoie paced around as Kuwbara's yelling grew louder.

"I still don't think now is the time for all of us to be splitting up and doing their own thing, we are a team and fighting amongst each other is only going to make things worse for all of us!"

"I still don't see why you choose me to pile your useless drivel onto, in case the hundreds of other times didn't make you see it, I don't give a damn."

"Why you little…"

"Don't you two ever stop squabbling? You complain that fighting isn't solving anything and yet here you are fighting!"

"And just who do you think you're speaking to that way; in case you hadn't noticed I am not your little half-breed owner; go find her if you want someone to bore." A low demonic growl erupted from Zoie's throat and the sounds of popping bones snapped both of them into attention as the dog began to change.

"Hey!" Touya's voice interrupted their confrontation; he and Jin ran up to them panting and Zoie quickly reverted back.

"What's going on, what happened?'

"It's Siera, I think she may have taken Bakken!" the three of them gasped, Zoie heart nearly stopped in its chest; it was just as he had feared.

"How do you know that?"

"I was on my way to our hotel room when I saw her, or at least it was her based on the description you gave; but she was different. Her eyes were black as coals and she had these marking on her. That was nothing compare to the energy I felt from her, it was dark and violent."

"Had a whole black aura she did, wicked stuff, I simply raise my hand to say hello; cuz you were looking for her and stuff and it gave me this!" Jin held out his arm to show the fresh open wound. It was like something has taken a chunk clean from the flesh.

"The lass's aura took a bite clean from me it did, nasty stuff. Never even looked up at us just stared ahead."

"Okay but what makes you think she has Bakken?"

"Because this was in our room with a note." Touya pulled out a large foot from a bag; it appeared to have been gnawed off at the ankle. Kuwabara retched and Hiei took a step back from the smell.

"This is several hours old, these teeth marks; wolves did this and a lot of them. She didn't have intention on bringing it to you right away; it laid there overnight before the thought came to her. What did the note say?"

"Blood for blood, eye for eye; that is what the righteous yell, but little do they know the price that takes them down to hell. For blood spilled is blood owed and an eye lost is a soul sold; a vengeful heart cannot escape unless they pay the piper well."

"It's worse than I thought…let me smell it, I can track it to the source." Zoie took in the scent of the decaying foot and waited for the wind to tell him where to go. Zoie took off with Kuwabara, Touya and Jin on his heels.

"Is this wise, what if Bakken is already dead?"

"I know my mistress; if he's lucky, he will be." a couple of miles out into the forest they stopped running when they got to a clearing. A dark shadow seemed to loom before them deep behind the trees.

"You feel that, it's not even the sheer power of it; that alone is frightening, but I can feel the bloodlust, the fury."

"Yeah that is some nasty stuff going on there is."

_I know you're there…Come out, come out and play…_ a few dozen wolves emerged from the trees snarling menacingly.

"Did we fall in some sort of trap?"

"I don't think so."

"If she wanted to kill us she would have done so by now." Hiei ambled with the rest of them and the energy intensified. _Look who has come to join the party, everyone wants to play_.

"Siera what have you done?"

_I only did what needed to be done, nothing more._

"Why'd ya put big stinky's foot on our table then, bad smell it had; had to hold my breath I did."

"Yeah…what he said, what is this about, our team seems to be falling apart as it is; we don't need this!" She didn't move from the darkness but simply spoke telepathically to everyone at once_. I will answer questions once our last guest arrives_.

"Are you saying that this note was this invitation?! Why would you steal our teammate and then bring us into it?!"

_Idiot, that note was a warning! Blood for blood, eye for eye; that is what the righteous yell, but little do they know the price that takes them down to hell. For blood spilled is blood owed and an eye lost is a soul sold; a vengeful heart cannot escape unless they pay the piper well. You seek vengeance and you will pay with your life, which was the meaning._

"Huh, well you don't go round talking riddles an such, people can hardly understand what ya be saying they don't." everyone looked at Jin for a moment longer than they probably should have.

_Ah…here he is._ Koenma and Jorge trod along to the clearing. And Hiei turned to Touya and Jin

"You two, go to the hotel and find Kurama. _Now_; he's the only one who can't talk sense into her!" The two took off and out of the darkness Siera appeared clutching Bakken by his hair; her eyes jet black and piercing and a dark aura engulfing her. Along her body were odd markings like tribal tattoos making her look all the more fearsome.

That's very noble of you Hiei, not wanting them involved, I figure they would enjoy the party too. But riddle me this; a human kills a demon and they are celebrated, a demon kills a human and they are eliminated, a demon kills a demon and it is but a tree falling silently in the forest but when a human kills a human and there is simple reprimanding.

"Where is the riddle in that?"

Where in all of those actions is the justice? An apparition can face severe punishment for harming a human yet there are countless humans who sell demons on the black market committing heinous acts themselves. Where is the fairness?

"Siera, what is the meaning of all of this, why id you drag everyone out here and why o you have Bakken?" Koenma crossed his arm in anticipation.

Lord Koenma I thank you for making an appearance and I also thank you for taking this form; I would have felt bad for saying what I needed to say to a child.

"Felt bad, it doesn't seem like you feel bad about anything right now, I mean look at him, he oesnt even look like a person anymore!" Jorge stood behind his boss in rear of retaliation.

"Oh I feel bad…I feel like an empty abyss is swallowing me whole, like I am being eaten away from the inside leaving a cesspool of rage and carnage in its place. I feel emotions that I do not have words for, but I must do what needs to be done.

"And what is that?"

"Of course, she wants an audience for her show. I get it, you removed his hands so that he couldn't fight back, his feet so that he couldn't escape. You want him to feel the same humiliation and pain that Kurama felt under his hand. I have to say that I commend you for your effort and strategy but if you expect me to plead his case you are mistaken, I would rather see him die."

And you will in due time, I don't care if you want his life spared or not, he isn't leaving this place alive no matter what any of you try to do.

"STOP ALL OF THESE RIDDLES AND JUST TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON!"

Oh Kuwabara…always so impatient, but I will tell you since you have committed no wrongdoing. This is about punishment.

"Well we figured that, but why are we here?"

You are here because my guardian cannot follow instruction. Koenma is here because he is also to blame.

"What, that is outrageous, I had nothing to do with what had happened yesterday, if you want to blame anyone go after the committee that ordered it to happen!"

Oh they will get theirs…but first things first. She release her grip and Bakken tried desperately to craw to the group.

And I know what you're thinking, but I wont let you kill him either, he isn't done.

"I still don't understand why you blame me for this, it is Toguro that made them come here in the first place.-"

Yes, he had and I will give Yusuke the opportunity to deal with that but your sin goes much deeper.

"I have committed no sin."

Really? Then it was so convenient that Toguro was hired by Tarukane the same time you sent Yusuke and Kuwabara to save her then wasn't it? Strange though…you have has other spirit detectives, other operatives but you send an ill experienced child to wage war on something he didn't understand; but then it wasn't the first time was it? Koenma stiffened and everyone looked to him.

To be bunt, Yukina was in that dirty mans hands or years not weeks. How long Koenma, how long did her file sit on your desk before you found the suitable time to read it, before you found someone suitable to do the job? Or was it that you wanted Yusuke to deal with it before Hiei found out; because it was you who keeps him here and the bloodshed of so many rich and humans would result in serious reprimanding on your part. Oh? Now that is very interesting indeed, would you like to share that with the rest of the class or can I?

"Well be that as it may, your quest for vengeance is futile. You said it yourself, 'blood spilled is blood owed and an eye lost is a soul sold'; you can't possibly think that this will end suffering of others. And wasn't it you who told me that holding onto hatred will end your own life? There will always be those types of people making the war you wage never ending so going after everyone will do nothing but cause you more pain and end your life prematurely and wouldn't the resulting grief from your death make this vengeance all for naught?" Siera stared blankly at Hiei in deep thought was he getting through?

"I…I can't go back. I can't go back from this, this hatred I feel; all I want is to destroy and if I don't do that then what was it for?" Kurama bolted into the clearing and Siera's face dropped.

"Why did you come here, damn you Hiei!" Her aura grew, making them all take a step back.

"Don't go near her, that energy will melt your flesh in seconds and feel like centuries." Kurama didn't back down but instead kept walking forward his eyes on her.

"Stay away…don't come closer, I mean it!"

"You said once that you would kill for me, what irony would it be if you were the one that ende my life."

"You know I wouldn't do that; I would never hurt you."

"Then stop this, stop this plot you are acting out of emotion; whatever logic you put behind it, it doesn't change the matter." Bakken clutched at Kurama's pant leg as he walk past and a bleary eye traced upward until his face came to focus.

"Please…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry for what I've done to you. But I can't live this way, I cant take it anymore, please kill me!" The man cried at his feet.

"Let him go Siera."

"No…"

"Release him now!"

"No, I won't do it!"

"What are they talking about?"

"Bakken should have died from the injuries Yusuke inflicted; she has been supplying him with her own energy just to keep him alive only to continue in his pain and misery."

"That's…horrible!" Kuwabara balked at such a thought

"Why is it every time I see this girl she becomes more interesting to me?"

"Hiei I don't want to hear it!"

"Can't you see that I cannot come back from this, I am doomed I have to do this or it's all for nothing."

"Look at you, this isn't who you are." Kurama still tried to approach but she backs away

"You don't know who I am."

"Don't I? You're snarky, twisted, mischievous and provoking an also smart, loyal, kind-hearted, fair and funny. You are beautiful, calculating, unique and so talented. You are so much more than a sum of your thoughts; you aren't perfect but no one is. I meant what I said in that tree, you are like flame, so beautiful yet so dangerous so warm and yet so misunderstood. Your light is so bright that a moth cannot help but fly over to dance along as a slave to your spirit."

"You meant what you said…I thought you were trying to manipulate me into staying home." She looked into those emerald eyes and saw something that made her heart stop and she recoiled further.

"No, you couldn't mean it, you don't mean it!"

"But I do…I love you Siera." Kuwabara Jorge and Koenma gasped in awe, but Siera only turned her back on him her aura changing to a jet black and shrinking as though she were hiding within herself.

"No…you're lying to me; you can't love me, you can't love this darkness I have. Maybe once we could have been something, maybe… but I can't, I can't go back to who I was because I don't know how to break out of this. I don't know how to let it go! So just go away, turn your back on me like you wanted me to believe before because even if you did love me, even if I wanted something more, I would only ruin you. I would pull you down with me; don't you see, my darkness will destroy you!" He broke through her aura grabbing her shoulder and pulling her into his arms. In that moment the darkness had evaporated and her eyes had gone from black to blue once more. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard she knew he heard it as he caressed her face with his right hand and gently kissed her forehead.

"Your darkness doesn't frighten me; but a world without your light does." She then broke down in tears burying her face in his chest as she cried \\.

"He tried to take you away from me…and I couldn't do anything about it. I hate him for that…but most of all I hated myself for letting it happen. I wanted to make them all pay."

"And lose your own life in the meantime, in a way that seems selfish; would you want me to desert you for vengeance knowing that by doing so I would never come back?" She looked up at him with such an expression that tugged at his heart and he held her close to his heart.

"I have told you so many times over the years that I can handle myself; you don't always have to fight for me. Although given the circumstances I can understand your fury; nevertheless it is over, so dry your tears and let the past go."

"This is so beautiful Sir; his love pulled her out of the darkness and mended her damaged heart!"Jorge blew his nose as he sobbed however Zoie noticed the apprehensive look on Koenma's face and took note.

"I knew she loved him, but I didn't know he felt the same, this is so…" Kuwabara muttered.

"It's BEAUTFUL!" Jorge honked again.

"Ogre, you're an embarrassment."

"Hmm…"

Siera looked over to Bakken's marred body that struggled for each breath and she closed her eyes.

"He is yours to do as you wish." Kurama walked back to the man who had harmed and humiliated him just yesterday who was now a shell of a living thing barley living and at his mercy.

"Please…have…mercy…"

"Be honest with me Siera, did you keep his tongue in the off chance I would find you here and he be able to apologize?"

"You know me too well." Kurama knelt down to look at him better, he held no anger or hatred in his eyes.

"Please…I'm sorry…have mercy…"

"You know I do hope you don't get the wrong impression of her; she truly is a good person I suppose I bring out the best and the worst in her. Since primary school she would fight with other children who would seem to dishonor me but her standards are quite high so soon enough the other children wouldn't play with me for fear of her. But when a bully did read his ugly head she would always make them apologize. That's her nature; she could want a person dead, but she would forgive if I did."

"Oh yeah like that cat that attacked me, I had to forgive her before she would stop. Huh."

"But I digress; I say that because I want you to know that I have no hatred towards you. I see you today and I only feel pity; that I am regretful that she took it this far; you should have died nearly a full day ago yet to suffer such cruelty for this long not even you deserved that but I will end your pain now." Kurama took out his rose as he stood.

"Thank…you." It was over in an instant and Siera instantly fell to the ground tired.

"I hadn't realized how much energy I was using, I'm sorry everyone." Hiei turned and left as Jorge lifted siera and held her steady.

"I feel like I could sleep for years."

"Yeah I bet, I'm just glad you didn't kidnap anyone else." Kuwabara laughed

"Oh yeah I forgot." At that moment Ruka stumbled out of the trees exhausted and cut up from running into branches.

"Is this it, no it's not it's this way…no no no no not that way she wants you to think that way. Left, go left, no we already went left lets go right. No we go straight, straight is the best way; must escape, must escape, must escape…" She muttered mindlessly her eyes blank and lifeless.

"Are you still controlling her?"

"No, I let her go same time as I did Bakken, that's how she made it this far."

"Yeesh, she looks horrible, someone should help her get out of here." Siera scoffed and started walking back toward the hotel.

"Let her find her own way back it's her own damn fault anyway. Tell you what; I'll leave a dollar every twenty feet I bet she'll get back home in no time!" She suddenly stopped and thought about it and went back into the trees and returned with the sack, using it to cover her; she then tied a string around her waist and began to pull her along like a lost dog.

"Shut up, I don't want to hear about this later either." The two women proceeded to walk back to civilization.

"Yes, that is the real her, I'm glad to see it again."

"Hey Koenma's gone."

"Odd, well shall we head back ourselves?"

"Yeah, I want to talk about what you said to her, what was your strategy with that."

"None, I simply thought it was time to stop hiding."

"Aw that's awesome, so are you guys going to be a couple now do I hear wedding bells what about names for your children?" Kuwabara put his arm around Kurama's shoulder with a cheesy grin.

"He literally told the girl he loved her ten minutes ago."

"Yes it is quite early yet with more matches to come and all." The three of them were silent as they walked for a moment.

"So what now?"

"Now, we continue to fight."


	18. Chapter 18

18

Siera awoke with a start, it was beginning to be a common occurrence now, she tried to recall of the events of the day before and a surge of regret took over her heart_. I did that…I hurt those people…I'm a monster_. She pulled her knees into her chest finding each breath harder than the last. I shouldn't be here; I don't deserve to be here I'm horrible!

She looked to the clock on the nightstand, it was only 3am; she remembered Kurama's words carefully: _If you are having trouble falling asleep; or if you start feeling bad again but come talk to me, you always could._ She put on her slippers and tiptoed to their room, it wasn't hard to pick the lock and slip inside, Hiei stood nearby watching her before simply walking back to his room without a word; she had to remember their senses were like and even better than hers.

She stood by Kurama's door for several minutes before summoning the courage to knock but before her knuckle hit the door he had opened it with a look of concern in his eyes.

"I…can't sleep, and I don't want to be alone." She looked down ashamed that she let herself look this weak so much in the past several days. He smiled and opened the door wider inviting her in and she meekly walked inside. So many things traveled in her mind as she sat on his bed; he had said that he loved her, what does that mean for them now? Will she be damned for the acts she committed? Will they all die in the end anyway?

"Do you want to talk about it?" He interrupted her thoughts and she looked at him deeply.

"Can…can I just cuddle with you, like when we were little? I know you have a big day tomorrow and I should let you sleep but-"

"Of course, if that is what you need, I am happy to give it to you." Her heart pounded in her chest as he got back into his bed and lay down. She lay on top of the blankets, too nervous to really be too close and laid her head on his chest. She was always affectionate with him from the time they were little, she was a touchy person but why this moment made her so nervous was alien to her. Maybe it was because she knew of his feelings, did he know of hers?

"K…"

:Yes?"

"About earlier…I…am I…"

"You are not evil; you made questionable and irrational decisions but that doesn't make you evil. Now please, for me, just let it go."

"Okay…and…I love you too. You said that you love me and I was surprised of course but I never said that…I love you too, I always had." She knew she was rambling and it made her heart race more. He put his arms around her and held her close she closed her eyes and took in the smell of him.

"I'm glad to hear that; to be perfectly honest I had suspected as much but I didn't want to ask."

"Oh…well what does that make us?" His heart quickened ever so slightly before going back to normal and that piqued her interest, was he unsure as well.

"Honestly…with the dangers ahead of us I cannot say; I cannot promise you a future that is so fragile in this moment. There is no telling if we shall be victorious again or if I will fall. I can only promise you this moment here after that is out of my control." She felt tears well in her eyes, this was why he wanted her to stay away, so that she wouldn't be concerned with the peril they were facing; but he couldn't expect her to leave him to suffer it alone, they had each other's backs since they were three, it wasn't going to end now.

"I will tell you what, let's go back to the way things were; if Toguro is beaten and you survive, if that is what we still want to do then we will talk about something more? If you were even considering it to begin with." Even in the pale light from the moon those green eyes dazzled her. He lifted a hand and ran his finger through her hair sending goose bumps down her body.

"It does sound like a good negotiation; however I don't think that now that my secret is out that I can place it back in. Could one repair a broken egg or a sheet of glass and not see the cracks?" The way he looked at her was surely different than before, of course it was always the same old K, but something intense was in that gaze and it made her want to kiss him just once to know what it was like.

"Then what should we do?" He caressed her face and pulled her in and she felt her breath and her heart stop. He gently kissed her forehead and nuzzled her hair. She lay her head back down on his chest shaking from nerves.

"As I said it is a good negotiation, I will behave if you will." She looked up at him with that familiar mischievous gleam in her eye.

"But I never behave." He chuckled at that and stroked her hair.

"Then you should try, now go to sleep we have a big day ahead of us." She lay her head back on his chest and found it easy to drift off to sleep.

She awoke several hours later in his bed alone a single rose in her hand and a note on the nightstand. _You looked too peaceful to awaken; hope you can forgive me_. She smiled to herself as she smelled the flower.

"Now that is how I like to see you."

"Zoie, I was just…"

"I meant with a smile on your face and your heart at peace, I know you much better than that. I came back to bring you to the new stadium, it seems someone wants you there to root for them." She blushed as she climbed out of bed and raced to her room.

"It's almost 10am, better than last time, what should I wear?" she muttered to herself.

"How about nothing; it's easy to do and gets right to the point."

"Zoie don't be vulgar!"

"And since when are you Miss Prude? You spout more innuendos than I ever have yet you wouldn't know the male anatomy if it were plastered onto your textbook." It was true, she loved using her ability to its best advantage which included beguiling males but the sad fact was she only knew what she pulled from their minds at the time. She may seem like a seductress to her enemies and even kids at school but she was a virgin.

"It seems like a good fit; of course I didn't think he would find any young girl he liked, he seemed too proper for the ones at school. To be honest I thought he would grow up to be gay."

"Do you want smacked?"

"You know I have to get my licks in where I can; it's hard to get you in a good mood. So… sneaking into his room in the middle of the night, a love note and a rose in the morning; is it safe to say you two are a thing now?"

"Well no, not really. We are waiting to see how things go, you know…"

"So you don't plan your wedding in three years just to find out he's dead before you even get to the stadium today." She glared at him and the joking was definitely over. She settled on a flowing top with shorts and leggings, cute but not suggestive. They raced toward the new arena just in time to see Hiei slash his way to another victory. She ran all the way to the front row sitting next to a random group of demons who didn't seem thrilled to have her there.

"Hey girl, you got some nerve coming over here!"

"Yeah we paid top dollar for these seats, either pay up or get lost!" She ignored them, her eyes on her best friend, or will it be boyfriend? The question pounded her head like a drum and her heart fluttered along.

"Gentlemen please, my mistress would simply like a good view, and she is of small size would it be that inconvenient for her to simply sit here? It would really do everyone a kindness to just let her be." a large green demon with a single horn stood his fists balled.

"Stupid uppity little bitch GET OUT OF OUR-" the demon started choking and coughing violently and yelling in pain, he began to spit up a large amount of blood and chunks of flesh as his comrades stood back in horror. Within minutes he was silent; he remained alive, but without the ability to utter a single noise as she shook with pain and fear.

"I'm trying to listen." She never took her eyes off of the ring as Kurama began his fight, the demon just whimpered as he sat back in his seat as Zoie whispered an _I'm sorry, I tried to tell you_ to them.

"That guy he's fighting, something's fishy I don't like his thoughts…they seem…" She stood sharply as the opponent snared him with his fishing line and slammed him to the ground.  
"HEY LISTEN TO ME; let him fight his own battle!" Zoie nipped at her leg to bring back her focus and she nodded. She focused her breathing and tried to listen to what was being said, what was going through their minds.

"He's going to turn him into a baby…" she squeezed and released the concrete barrier in front of her trying to calm herself as the ring filled with smoke. She was afraid for him, there was no doubt about it; but she also knew he was smart enough to think of a way out and so she waited and listened trying to sense his fading energy.

"H-he's gone…" Zoie's ears perked and Siera gasped as the explosion of spirit energy seemed to overflow out of the ring.

"I have never heard that voice...but something about it. 'Yoko has returned they cry.' Who is Yoko?" Zoie froze and Siera broke her gaze to look at him.

"I heard a story or two."

"Well…?"

"Shh; just watch the match."

"But I can't see anything!"

"Then listen, geez!" She turned back to the fight frustrated and listened to the conversation.

"That voice…that power…could that really be who K really is?"

"Well from what he told us Yoko's soul merged with Shuichi's creating the guy you know and love, so…as for whom he truly is, I really don't know."

"It seems complicated."

"You attract complicated." The smoke billowed away and Siera laid her eyes on this mysterious stranger; she could see from where she stood that he was much taller than she was, long silver hair golden eyes and ears she could tweak for ages!

"Silver hair, a dreamy tail; who is this love god?" The female announcer sighed over the microphone.

"Yes…who are you…" She found herself bounding over the barrier again to meet the team never taking her eyes off of him. She couldn't help but feel a strong attraction toward him, and she got it in her head to search his thoughts for answers. She couldn't read him either which both frustrated and intrigued her, then his eyes darted to her and they made eye contact like he knew what she had tried to do. She felt afraid and yet she also felt euphoric to be under the gaze of something so beautiful yet so dangerous.

Just like that, her silver haired wonder had transformed back into her best friend and a mix of emotions surged within her.

As Kurama leapt down from the ring she hugged him gently happy that he was safe and he put his arms around her as well.

"I just saw a side of you I had never seen before," He gasped as she whispered a playful tone in his ear. "and I want to get to know it." She backed away with a smile and turned making sure he saw her sashay.

"Did…she just grab your ass?!" Kuwabara laughed while Kurama stood stunned at her behavior, she was obviously trying to find the boundaries of their relationship but he wasn't clear on what they were himself. However if she was serious on wanting to know just who Yoko was…her being frisky with him was the least of his worries.


	19. Chapter 19

19.

"Come on Zoie why can't you just tell me; why are you acting this way?" Siera tweaked and tickled his ears but he stared ahead as Kuwabara…once again, was thrown from the ring into oblivion. She saw she would have to break out the arsenal and she wrapped her arms around the dog and nuzzled his neck just as she would when she was little.

"Pwease, Zoie I jus wanna to know the stowy."

"You're despicable." A set of puppy dog eyes and batted eyelashes more and he was sold and he sighed heavily.

"Long ago there was this bandit named Yoko Kurama; he was a legend, some generations called him the king of thieves. Some say there was no treasure he couldn't sniff out, no vault he couldn't break into, no trap he couldn't escape from and no foe he couldn't annihilate."

"Oh wow…"

"A while back…the story was that he was killed, the odds of him being among us all these years are astronomical. Yet here he is."

"That is amazing, I have so many questions!"

"NO! Look, I know Kurama isn't at all a threat to you in your eyes but you stay away from Yoko do you hear me? He is dangerous and you are still inexperienced, if he wanted to he could kill you in mere moments."

"But why would he want to?"

"Shuichi Minamino and Yoko Kurama may share the same spirit but they are not the same. I have reason to believe that he would very much like to get you out of the way."

"And how would you know that?" A peck on the shoulder caused a frustrated Siera to turn sharply.

"What do you want?" the group of apparitions they were sitting next to jumped back in fear before one timidly stepped up to speak.

"We have some information…it isn't much but we could give it to you."

"Right, I know your like, what is the price?"

"Our buddy, you…removed his vocal chords, do you think you could put them back?" she took a moment to think about it; they didn't want money just their friend to be restored she may have misjudged them after all. Could she even complete such a request? Of course if she could destroy on a cellular level there was no reason she couldn't make them regenerate.

"I can try; come here." The green demon hesitated before sitting next to Siera; she looked down his throat and observed the damage she had done. _Damn I thought I was going to stop hurting others, why am I so damn mean? _She took a deep and steady breath as she placed her hands on his throat and envisioned the regrowth of cells. The group waited in anticipation and they sat motionless.

"Tell me, what is your name?" the demon coughed a little before a gravely tone came from his throat.

"My name is Siote." He smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Hey it's better than before!" his friends patted him and laughed and she turned back around.

"Hey we have to repay you."

"Save your story, I was the one that caused the affliction in the first place I was only making things right." They looked to each other and turned back to the tournament.

"Aww look at you acting so grown up."

"I don't know what it is about this place Zoie, but I feel so violent and so angry."

"It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that you are watching literal violence and everyone here is pissing you off?"

"That's not what I mean; I want to hurt people…it feels good to hurt people, especially other demons."

"Well you did bear your mothers markings yesterday, it may be all the demon energy floating around your other half got awakened."

"I thought it always had been."

"Not fully, what you were emitting yesterday was called Hell's Scorn; your violent rage was materialized into an aura using your demon energy which is different from spirit energy. If you had known how you could have used it in attacks, much like everyone uses spirit energy here; and with the nature of this attack you would have caused a lot of damage to those undeserving of it. What you did to that guy's voice box, the way you branded Bakken over and over again was a pinpointed version of those attacks. It would have been one thing to telekinetically rip a piece of flesh from someone like an arm; you cut them like a surgeon and the remaining tissue disintegrated. To have that much precision with that much power…is frightening."

"In other words…I am capable of defending myself."

"You've always had had a one track mind; it's the most constant thing about you." Siera smiled and played with Zoie's ear again.

"I saw the way he looked at you; you tried to stick your nose where it didn't belong didn't you?" she was silent and he looked at her sideways.

"If I was a gambler, I would say that Kurama I going to find a way to change again; probably so that he can win his battles more easily but Yoko wants out; he is tired of being confined and wants to regain control."

"It sounds like you're grasping at straws."

"You know nothing of him, he will take out whomever he needs to; if you are holding him back from gaining control he will kill you." The severity sank in and Siera sat back crestfallen

"Zoie…"

"Just…be careful; I know you love him, I just want you to be aware." She looked down toward her best friend and so many questions came to mind as well as conflicting emotions.

"What do you think made him so mean?"

"I don't know that, that is way before my time; I just know that if he were to try to attack you, I may not be able to protect you and I would never forgive myself." They both looked back onto the matches in silent apprehension.

Zoie braced himself for the conversation to come as he tracked Kurama's scent into the woods later that day; he had never known that someone so dangerous had lived so close to his ward let alone be someone she is so fond of, it was unheard of…even devious.

"I knew you would come soon enough."

"Let's just cut to the chase alright, why didn't you tell me who you really were?"

"Would it have mattered? If I were any other fox would you be so wary of me?"

"No, I wouldn't; I've heard the stories and there is one in particular that doesn't sit well with me." Kurama kept his back to the dog, not making a sudden move as it was apparent Zoie was antsy.

"I would never do anything to hurt her, you know that."

"That was before I knew who you really are! You're going to find a way to change back aren't you?" He was silent again.

"You have to trust me Zoie; I have never asked that much of you before."

"You are going have to do better than that; I knew you were hiding something and here it is plain as day. I told her-"

"You told her what, to not be bothered with me? I tried to push her away, I tried to make her despise me, I tried to keep it all from her and _she will not bend_! And what's worse is that you urged this along as well! You have just as much to do with this than I do. I didn't want her to ever find out; and now that she does, there is no telling what would happen and I would never be able to forgive myself." Zoie's tail lowered as he sighed.

"I like the idea of her with you because I like her when she is with you. She is a gentler, happier person; you bring out her best and I want what is best for her. You know as well as I do that she has never been the same since that night; and when you are with her it is like she is that bubbly seven year old without a care in the world again. I watched you both grow together and every day I _want_ to trust you because she can so effortlessly…" Kurama turned and knelt to Zoie's level offering a hand. The dog stood his ground, the moment they had two nights ago set well into the past.

"Can you at least assure me that Yoko won't hurt her?"

"Why would you think he would do that?"

"Don't be coy, we both know why; he wants out and she would be the only reason you wouldn't allow it. Twisted thing is I think she's attracted to the danger…teenage girls for you!" Kurama stood brushing himself off as the demon hound sat never taking his eyes off him.

"Well then, to ease your anxiety, perhaps I should I just stay away from her."

"Obviously you're joking; when she thought you were manipulating her she wouldn't stay away; she's too bullheaded to leave for her own good."

"Then it appears we have a conundrum; I won't let him hurt her, I promise. She isn't fragile either you know, we both know she is quite dangerous in her own right."

"Very true, tell you what, if she puts him on his ass I'll give you guys my blessing!" they both laughed at that.

"Please Kurama; I am going to trust you with her life, don't make me regret it." Zoie walked away without another word.

Siera paced in her room that evening not knowing what to think or to say; she was afraid and yet she was curious, she wanted to go talk to him and yet she had no idea where to start. A knock on her door startled her and she tiptoed to peek into the peephole. She opened it to find her best friend who looked at her with mixed emotion. She opened the door wider and he walked inside and sat on the couch looking down as she sat beside him.

"I know you have questions; the truth is that I don't know how to answer them because I never wanted you to know about this. I wanted you to believe that I was just Shuichi Minamino, a normal human boy that you felt the need to look after, someone you trusted. Now I feel I have single handedly plunged you into a world you aren't ready for, made you feel torment no person should. Yesterday you spoke of darkness, of anguish from guilt; I have had many centuries of such darkness to eat away at my own soul. I feel as though it is me that is destroying you instead of the other way around as you feel. I have not lived an honorable life, not at all and it is because of my choices that I allowed you to experience what you had and that is unfair to you." He turned to her with sadness in his eyes and her heart broke. He took her hands in his for a moment before getting up to look out the window to the setting sun.

"Please forgive me; forgive me for approaching you all of those years ago to play, for ruining the goodness is in your heart."

"Oh shut the hell up!" He turned to her surprised; she stood and got up in his face like she was going to hit him.

"I am here because I wanted to be; hell I'm here because you told me not to be here! I chose everything I had done to this point, and you may have been a factor but you were not the cause. I have told you time and again that you don't have the right to dictate what I do or where I go because I am my own person. I want more than the normal and this… I feel it fulfills that need. Don't blame yourself for what I had done to myself, that isn't fair to you. And to be honest to say you were the cause of my corruption is pretty arrogant; I like to think I had a hand it in it too, you can't take all the glory." He stared at her for several seconds before he smiled.

"Now, you agree that being arrogant and a pessimist is ill fitting of you and I will let go of yesterday."

"Agreed." He put his arms around her and held her there as she burrowed her face I the nook of his neck.

"I hurt someone today; but then I made them better."

"Oh?"

"I removed a guy's vocal chords, then I regenerated them back to apologize."

"You…didn't just heal a wound, you regenerated a body part?"

"They were just vocal chords."

"Even still, to use your skills to that extent; it would be one thing if you had natural healing abilities but you manipulated cells to multiply in a specific fashion. And I'm to understand that they were fully functional as well; that is quite impressive indeed." She smiled.

"Maybe I can be of use after all, I know I'm slow now, but you guys get hurt I can help out."

"There was never a point that you weren't useful; but I think focusing on a constructive task would be good for you." Her eyes lit up as he stroked her face.

"I know you have a past…and I won't ask about it if it makes you uncomfortable; but I don't judge you or condemn you for it, we have all done things we aren't proud of." She ran her fingers into his hair, playing in it as her lips grazed upward of his neck to his face to sneak a kiss. He grasped her hands gently yet firmly and brought them down, an amused smirk on his face.

"I said to behave, you aren't playing fair." Her heart stopped as he leaned in stopping just a breath away from her lips as he ran his fingers through her hair that she then felt begin to tighten. She glanced to a nearby mirror to see a pink Azalea bloomed in the side of her hair, the roots tying the rest into a pretty side lace braid. She admired the pretty flower and the attractive hairstyle before turning to him only to find him gone entirely. _Now who isn't playing fair?_ She sat back down, not knowing where to go from this point why would she continue to push her boundaries when the future was so unknown? But then she only wanted a kiss; it was something she had been pining for since she would write his name in her notebook. He loved her and her him, but what would they do if they didn't make it to the end of the week, maybe that is what has her so urgent; she would rather have been official for a day then for it to have never been. No, that was only teenage girl logic; the practical thing to do would be to do what she could to help the team, try to keep them alive…hope that they all make it through.

"Now, I do have one question; when can I see him again?" he looked serious again but simply put his arms around her.


	20. Chapter 20

20.

"I'm surprised you're even in your own room."

"Where have you been?"

"Out for a walk; you know I'm never far."

"I know that…"

"So why aren't you with the others...or rather, with him?"

"We talked for a moment and he left, I don't know, I just want to think things over is all." Zoie lay on the floor patiently. Siera lay on the couch thinking over the events of the day, she felt confused, elated, afraid and most of all anxious. She didn't know what to do between the coming final round with Toguro, the news of a dangerous and powerful bandit was living inside her best friend or maybe boyfriend and _that _was a major head scratcher in itself! Knowing that they could all just as easily die in the next two days as they could live put her in a constant state of anxiety; and the only thing she could do was sit and fret over it.

"It's funny how things come together the way they do; I still remember the day we met. I never talked to the other kids in school because Mama always told me to be cautious because we are yokai so I was sort of scared of humans ya know? And I heard the teasing words they thought about me."

"Children are cruel."

"I remember, Mama had taken me to the park and I was playing with my doll by myself and enjoying the spring flowers. I remember hearing Mama talking to another adult which happens in the park; but this wasn't small talk they seemed to be enjoying each other. I thought nothing of it until I turned back around and saw him and the first thing I noticed were his eyes! I had only seen such a green once before!"

"Yeah I remember, he introduced himself all proper like: 'Hello, my name is Shuichi Minamino, would you like to play with me?' Ha ha and what did you say?"

"CHROME DIOPSIDE!" They both laughed heartily at that.

"He looked at you like you swallowed a bug!"

"Mama had a necklace of those jewels she had from long ago and his eyes were the same shade of green! I couldn't help it ha! But if he hadn't come up to me I wouldn't have come out of my shell, wouldn't have gone out to explore the woods on my own and found my first wolf, raised the puppies and become part of the pack, I wouldn't have met Genkai and watched her, I wouldn't have watched Yusuke in that tournament to learn exactly who he was."

"And who knew it was the same punk I would follow around while you were in school."

"Really?"

"Yeah, guy can fight, he was entertaining and he always gave me food."

"Ah there's your true colors; then we found out he hung around Botan and the next time she was around we tailed her to that old building to the door to maze castle. The rest is history; but never would have put K in the same boat as Yusuke if I hadn't overheard the two of them talking at the hospital. If I had never found out about his secret…"

"You would be at home studying college level psychology and biology and complaining you have to wait until high school to excel at anything. And I would have to sit and listen; wondering what life would be like if I had food in my bowl." She chuckled before falling silent again.

"I love him Zoie…"

"I know you do."

"But what if I have to stay away, what if I should have stayed away? Yoko…something about him is so intriguing but at the same time I'm afraid. Hell I'm afraid of everything now; will Toguro kill us all, will the guys die in the ring, what would I tell Shiori? I obviously can't tell her the truth and how does a person go on with that kind of secret? And what if everything is okay and they do beat him and Yoko tries to kill me or what if he does, would he do so, can I fight him, what does that mean for us and is there even going to _be_ an us? I feel so confused!" Zoie looked to the frustrated girl and licked her hand and she stroked him gently

"Why don't you talk to the other girls? I'm sure they are going through the same things you are in some form or another."

"I don't know I feel so awkward, I already made a fool of myself the last night with them."

"I don't know, I think they like you; you need to stop being either overbearing or overly timid, find some middle ground."

"Yeah…I think I just need to step back and really think things over."

"Well if you want my honest opinion…"

"It's only why I've been talking to you!"

"Take the things that you don't have control over and stop worrying about them, take the things you might have control over and ponder them from afar and the things you can control focus on that first. That way, you are not overwhelmed by it all."

"Yes, that sounds doable."

"Does it now?" She didn't say anything after that, but stood and walked to her bedroom to pack a small bag.

"Where are you going?"

"I just need to step away, I won't be far; only a couple miles out at most."

"Are you going to be alright; should I come with you?"

"No, I will be okay I just need to do some soul searching is all and being here is too distracting. I think I will do some meditation."

"Wow, you are serious; glad to see that."

"Yeah… I'll be back." She walked out the door and Zoie sat as he watched the door wondering himself if they were ready for what was to come.

She walked through the woods for a few hours, the many questions still pounding inside her head as the crickets and frogs sang their nightly song. She heard the footfalls of several animals but felt no fear; since she was small she always felt more connected to the animals than people, especially the wolves. She had seen her mother transfigure to her once signature black panther; the sleek mysterious shape of the cat with the piercing blue eyes gave her chills and excited her but she was not the loner her mother was; she enjoyed working with others and being a part of something. It was why she took to the wolf; in every ounce of her spirit she knew she was one with them.

_I hear you my friends._ A dozen pair of glowing eyes surrounds her as she hums a harmonious tune, letting her energy flow freely like a light fog. One by one the large animals come forward with lowered heads and tails as she sits and begins to meditate. In her meditation she is able to review her memories and experiences, sort them out and weigh out what options she has, some would say it is like rewatching one's life; to her it is like checking the answers on a test before turning it in.

She laughed at her first meeting with Shuichi when they were three, she smiled at the oat they took of being best friends for the first time, she remembered the bullies at school and how angry she was, she felt fascinated when she met Genkai, how she would watch her train by herself and say hello as she wandered her woods but would never strike a conversation; not being rude but simply too afraid to say anything, _I should open herself to her now that they have more in common._ She wept on the day of the earthquake and remembered the emptiness she felt thereafter.

And it was there during the seven years of emptiness did she realize that Kurama and Zoie were her only constants, but they were much more than that, her existence had more value because she had them as companions and she felt peace in that and she smiled.

Then the fateful night Shiori fell ill, she remembered that, she was worried sick that she would lose yet another mother figure and she ran to the roof to find her best friend when she heard them talking through a cracked door. She felt betrayal and pain; she was confused that the only person she truly trusted would hide so much from her. From his betrayal she made a mission to understand why he kept so much from her.

And it was in looking at it all that she realized that she felt useless to him…being what she was she felt either a mistake or a monster, but Shuichi at least needed her, she wanted to be needed and the moment she wasn't was the day her logic had spiraled. She became irrational, hateful and overbearing worst of all she realized that she became possessive of him. She felt she needed to be included in every aspect of his life because they were best friends when really it was because she was insecure. She had no other friends that she could be open like she was with him and if she lost him she lost everything. Or so she thought.

She had snuck into his cases, put herself in danger by putting her nose where it didn't belong, and forced him to worry about her safety all because of her pride. Then she sees Bakken and the way he hurt her beloved friend and anger bubbles back within her, and then turns to disgust at what she had done as a result. She thinks of her best friend who has proclaimed his love to her despite her many failures who had been patient with her time and again when she didn't deserve it and who even now looks at her like she is treasure in his eyes. And then she sees Yoko Kurama, and she is both fascinated and terrified by the silver fox who may or may not want her dead for personal reasons.

_I have been a fool, I have acted so recklessly all of this time and yet he has always shown the same patience with me. I was the one being manipulative, I hurt people and I pushed my way into something I didn't belong. I don't deserve his love and yet he wants to give it to me anyway. I cannot control what happens in two days, but I can control how I conduct myself from this point_. The wolves that had perched around her during her meditation whined and bowed their heads in submission as he opened her eyes to look at them. She stroked their beautiful heads and sang a lovely song to them. She stretched her arms forward and changed as well; the wolves rejoiced yapping and howling in delight. _I need just a little while to be free, so I can come back with a clear mind and give them the friend they deserve; I won't truly be of use to them until then._

Meanwhile Zoie listened at the window of the hotel room to the faint and distant howling until he heard one he was well acquainted with.

"That's my girl, you go run free; free your mind and come back the way you were meant to be."


	21. Chapter 21

21

Morning came and she was deeply engaged in her run with her new friends. Each of their thoughts intertwined so much so that it was like they were a single unit rather than a group, she loved it and she loved them.

The pack soon stopped for water and she drank from the fresh spring letting her paws soak in it's coolness. She shook; letting the wind flow through her dark fur as she looked to the forest in a new perspective. In this form, there were no exams, no judgmental classmates, no fear of death or complicated relationships. She was far away from what once troubled her mind which was just what she needed in order to think thoroughly about it. She was insecure, and in order to become a better friend to everyone who relied on her she had to stop needing them to need her. But it was so different than what she felt with the wolves, they needed each other and found strength in it; she saw as they groomed and nuzzled each other that they were secure in each other's company. But then she watched as a lower level male tried to force himself into a small group, he was quickly rejected and chased a few feet.

She watched intently as he sat alone and dejected; and it was in that moment that she saw herself in a similar situation. She had tried so hard to make herself fit into a situation that she was not invited and because of that she caused a mild tension between her and them making her an outcast even if it were in her own mind. She padded over to the loner and nuzzled him in encouragement before going off on her own; relocating the stash of clothes by a hollowed tree before wandering in the woods alone.

_I didn't use to be this…needy, what happened to me? I know what happened, I lost my whole world and had to pretend it never happened. I couldn't even tell my best friend's mother that my mother was gone; I kept the façade that she had to work another job far away and never come around. At least in her mind her best friend was alive; she had phone conversations at least once a week so no questions would be asked. At least in her mind her best friend wasn't lying to her…at least…_

She had to shake herself out of her train of thought; no, she couldn't let that toxic thought poison what she did have left. She was so engulfed in the fact that she lost a large part of her world that she became possessive of what part she had left. She spent so much time and energy being angry at Shuichi for lying about his real self to her that she didn't think to even ask why. Yes she had a right to be upset being that she entrusted him with her own bloodline and secrets but to let it be the catalyst of all of their future arguments and falling outs was childish. She knew that she had to let go in order to find pace within herself and it was at this moment that she could.

_I don't have to be there to protect Shuichi, but I can support every step he takes…he can take care of himself and I have to accept that. I do not have to keep being a victim of my misfortune; I can be a survivor instead and grow from it. I do not need to instill dominance to make his friends like me, they will appreciate my honestly and intelligence; they will like me for who I am as long as I am willing to show it. I need to accept what I do not control and make peace with myself._

_But who am I? What am I, and how can I make peace with it?_

A rustle in the nearby wood interrupted her thoughts again and she searched the mind that may lie in that direction. Whatever it is; it's distracted. She crept closer and found Genkai alone and looking uneasy.

"Master Genkai…what are you doin out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing but I'm sure you wouldn't answer me either." She was right, under normal circumstances, Siera wouldn't divulge her thoughts or intentions to the old teacher; not because she disliked her, but because the only thing she was better at than striking fear in lower demons to soothe her own ego is alienating those who could actually like her.

"I…have a lot of internal conflict, and I'm trying to make peace with myself." The old woman looke at her then with softer eyes and smiled.

"I've been there many times girl, I have been back and forth on so many choices I've made in my youth that I could drive a person insane let alone myself. But I wouldn't change any of them."

"You wouldn't?"

"Let me tell you something; if you make a choice that you know in your heart is for the good of those around you, even if it sacrifices your own wishes dreams or even your life in the process don't ever regret it. You will waste your life away on regret and second guesses; choosing to live alone wondering when your past decisions will come back to haunt you, and then you will be an old fool like me with nothing to show for it."

"But you have Yusuke…and you have us we are your friends. I wish…I wish I had the nerve to speak to you before. All these years…"

"You were afraid; choosing to live with your choices alone just as I was. I don't blame you child. But as you said…Yusuke is something I can truly say I'm proud of…I see him as a son if I have to be honest. So yes when I think of what this past year has gotten me I can say that I have no regrets. Even if this is our first time in conversation I don't regret it because I know the growth you had to gain in order to open yourself to another person with your guard down. You think I didn't notice; your energy flow is much calmer than normal and your eyes are brown. Years ago you would have darted into the woods terrified of even making eye contact. You spoke up to ask if you could stay with the wolves and vowed never to bother me again and here we are years later shooting the breeze like old friends."

"I never thought about it like that, I am so far out of my comfort zone ha! I don't regret it though."

"And that is what I mean; hold onto your moxie and continue to grow." Genkai stared to walk away and Siera felt a troubling sense of foreboding in the air.

"Master Genkai…is this…the last time we will speak?" She stopped and looked back, her faded hair flowing in the wind as the clouds overhead began to darken.

"That all depends on your perspective…"

"Don't baby me."

"Yes. But understand this; I have made a decision and I stand by it; this has gone on long before you were born and there is nothing you can do about it."

"But Genkai…"

"I am at peace with this." With that the teacher walked away and Siera felt dread fill her heart. She wanted to run after her, stop her and keep her safe but she would only fight her and go either way. What was she to do, let her die?

_No! Come Back, you are going to walk back to the hotel and go to bed, you're tired and feeling delirious!_

_**Child I wasn't born yesterday I know when someone is trying to manipulate my mind; you think you're the first psychic to try?! Now don't come after me or I will put you in your place!**_

She was at a loss, she ran in the opposite direction not wanting to hear or see what was about to happen. Soon she was pacing in circles and hyperventilating, afraid and confused at what was happening. _It never fails, the literal moment you get close to someone they leave you it never fails, it never fails!_ She was then back in the kitchen of her childhood hiding under the table as her parents argued they had gone back and forth before over the past moth but it was never this bad. Zoie was gone and she didn't know what to do; she watched as her father Maku, a dark skinned man with dreadlocks below his shoulders yell at her normally calm and collected mother in agitation.

"You do not understand the danger we are in Korrin; as long as you remain ignorant our daughter will never have a chance!"

"I don't understand? I have watched humans for centuries; their cruel and sadistic ways are not new to me. It is you that doesn't understand; that man has poisoned your mind and if this is the way you will act and speak in front of our daughter then we will simply leave!"

"You are not leaving!"

"YOU DO NOT tell me what I can and cannot do Maku!" He grabbed her arm forcefully and she slapped him hard. Siera watched curiously as he pulled some sort of paper from his pocket and slap it to her mothers face who screamed horrifically before going limp in his arms. Siera cried as the man she had always loved and worshipped flung her mother over his shoulder and carried her downstairs and all she could do was cover her ears and cry.

"Siera…HEY wake up! Did you see the old hag anywhere?!" She looked up with blurry eyes and saw Yusuke staring at her frustrated, her throat choking her so much that she could hardly speak she pointed in the direction she walked.

"Please…help her." She continued to hyperventilate as he raced away and she pulled her knees into herself again crying angrily at her weakness.

_I should have done something…I should have tried harder…why do I always fail the people that are precious to me? Why can't I be stronger?_ She cried as she felt the immense display of power begin to rise and screamed in horror and grief as it hit its peak. She didn't know when or how she managed to climb into this little hole in the fetal position crying like a frightened child but she couldn't move, she wouldn't move.

She opened her eyes to see a younger version of herself; someone she hardly knew anymore sitting beside her curled body and placing a warm tiny hand on her.

_She is only the first of many…you will lose them all._

"Shut up don't say that!"

_You know I'm right; we always fail the ones we love, we do not deserve to be loved._

"No!"

_Who's to say Shuichi isn't next? _

"SHUT UP!" Siera cried as she looked to what she took to be a representation of her nervous breakdown who looked at her with calm brown eyes.

_You know, we possess the bloodline of a Haitian prince and a powerful Youkai; yet you reject both given the situation not knowing what part of your blood is the evil incarnate that enrages you. We hold the power to manipulate the very thoughts of another and yet you allow yourself to be my victim. Do you not see it?_ The words settled upon her ears and she began to realize what had happened all along. Her insecurity controlled her in the exact same fashion she would control others.

"Am I going insane…will I be able to make you quiet and leave me in peace?"

_Me? You are the one who is doing it. I am not the one cowering in fear like a child. She was_ right about that. Siera pulled her stiff body from its place and stood looking to herself with sore eyes.

It is unfortunate that this happened; but in order to honor one lost you must look to what that loved one wanted. She wanted you to hold onto your strength and open yourself; don't be afraid to make friends they do not always leave.

"Who are you?"

Obviously I'm you; you separated me from your unconscious mind to try to cope with this situation. You could say that I reside somewhere between your Id and your Ego. In other words you already had the wisdom to deal with it but you needed it to come from someone else, someone you trusted and so you made me. Once you have calmed I will go back to being insentient.

"You…before the earthquake…I was so happy then."

And you trust this part of you, you fight to protect it.

"I think I'm ok now, I just need to take a breath and find Yusuke…" the child faded away and she felt herself calm although grief still struck her heart. She ran in the direction Yusuke and Genkai left and soon enough he found him cradling her lifeless body and all breath left her. I should say something but what? I should have done something more…I can't face him…but I cant let him cry alone. She knelt adjacent to him and bowed in tears; she had no words of comfort, all she could do was cry.

It was quiet aside from their sobs and soon she looked up to fid hi and his teacher gone. She crept into the woods herself to get a hold of what to think or do. What did she want?

_**Let me tell you something; if you make a choice that you know in your heart is for the good of those around you, even if it sacrifices your own wishes dreams or even your life in the process don't ever regret it. You will waste your life away on regret and second guesses; choosing to live alone wondering when your past decisions will come back to haunt you, and then you will be an old fool like me with nothing to show for it.**_

_She was right. No matter what I could have done, it was done and over; I can't live in regret but I will make sure to honor her for the rest of my own days. I did find some information I hadn't known about myself before; and I have to be careful not to manipulate myself and let my fears get in the way again. _


	22. Chapter 22

22

Siera walked on in the woods in a daze; she wasn't sure what to do or where to go. She didn't want to find Yusuke again to just sit in guilt ridden silence and she wasn't up to facing anyone back at the hotel. She felt so lost and alone and soon that foreboding darkness began to envelop her heart_. How could you possibly think that you helped in any way? You should have stopped her, you ruin everything! You wanted her to die didn't you; you didn't care about her at all and walked away! It's in your nature to be heartless you know; demons have no time for friendship or love only destruction. This is why your own parents would rather die than to be with_ _you!_

"NO, STOP IT!" She fell to her knees trying to drown out the voice that spoke words she weren't even sure were lies.

She saw herself years ago as just a little girl as her father styled her hair after trying on a new dress he had bought for her.

"Piti fi cheri mwen; ou bel Ezili" Often when her father would speak of her he would speak in creole, she couldn't understand every word he spoke but her mind reading filled in whatever gaps her knowledge had and also assisted in her learning the language itself.

"Papa; why do you call me that name Ezili? What does it mean?" he turned her to face him and she remembered how handsome he was; he had skin of deep bistre and eyes that were nearly black but held such kindness and warmth. His dark brown dreadlocks that he normally kept pinned back were loose and fell in his face. He was strong but so gentle and wise…she hasn't so much as thought of her father in years.

"I have told you of the Loa in my culture?"

"Yes; I remember you told me the tale of Papa Legba and a few of the others.

"Well Ezili is the other half of Papa Legba; she represents love and fortune, she is a strong as she is beautiful she is gracious but also wrathful. I have seen these in you from the moment you were born; I know you have a power within you that meets the level of a goddess. That is why I call you by her name and I am sure you will do her proud."

"But Papa we do not worship the Loa here and Mama doesn't speak of such things at all."

"Child the Loa are not merely angels or deities; they are spirits that stand between us and the other world. We do not simply worship them rather than we serve them in exchange for protection."

"So…even Mama, who is Youkai could be considered a Loa?"

"In fact cheri; when I looked into your Mama's eyes for the first time I was stricken by her so much so that I thought she was Erzulie herself. The Loa can take many a form and be good or evil; it all depends on their own needs at the time."

"Papa…are demons evil?"

"Cheri…you are only as evil as your heart desires you to be and that goes for all living things." Looking back she remembered how much he had love her and her mother whole heartedly and if love like that could happen then demons weren't as evil as she was made to believe.

"I am the daughter of Maku Mitisiku, and he loved me and all of my heritage so you go to hell!"

_And when you killed him, did he love you then_? She fell to her knees in frustration and her struggle was interrupted by noise nearby. Her curiosity drove her to check it out and that was when she spotted her best friend and she felt the relief of no longer being alone with these thoughts.

"Shuichi, I am so happy to see you! I have to talk to you it's-" he turned startled and even alarmed to see her. like he didn't want her there and she fell back into her insecurities.

"Siera…I am glad to see you too; but you have to leave."

"Why what is wrong? I thought…" He held a bottle in his hand with some liquid inside of it. Kurama saw that she noticed and realized that it was much too late to hide now.

"I got this from Suzuki."

"The ass hat of a clown, what do you need that for?"

"This was the key ingredient that was used for the Idun Box." She remembered back to seeing that silver fox and the immense power he had. As much as she knew she should be frightened by Zoie's warning, she was infatuated by this demon part of him.

"I will be frank, my next opponent…I cannot defeat him, not in this form so I will use this and become Youko again and then I will have the power necessary to achieve my win."

"How powerful is he? Like you won't get the win without Youko?"

"I…won't survive without him." She stood stunned; her fear has finally come to reality and the thought of losing him made her head spin.

"But...why do I have to leave?"

"Because I took some of it and I don't know how you will fair with this side of myself."

"Shuichi we all have sides of ourselves we rather not face, doesn't mean we have to do it alone. If we are to have a future together I have to know all of you; so that…I can love all of you." He looked at her with what she could describe as pity before a flash of light blinded her and that familiar power surge enveloped her. She looked up to find the silver haired Adonis staring at her with contempt and fear flooded her as she tried to get a feel of what was on her mind to no avail.

"Nosey, nosey; my aren't you just the little trouble maker? I have wanted to put my hands on you for years." vine wound around her waist and flung her into a nearby tree. Before she could get her bearings she was stabbed repeatedly by what appeared to be long thorns shot from the unseen plant. Damn, he must have grown a plant behind her while he was talking! She pulled one of the dagger like thorns from her shoulder and lunged forward, but then she hesitated. He smirked and closed the gab giving her a strong backhand sending her away. Suddenly he was over her with a beautiful arrogant smirk on his face. A vine wrapped around her throat and he stood and watched as it lifted it up to hang her. She clawed at it; looking up to see that the plant was in the trees, no-it _was_ a tree! The thorns grew long just behind her like a bed of deadly spikes.

"This is the Gleditsia, also known as the Honey Locust it has large dagger like thorns that are quite painful to say the least, and that's only when pricked, I mean to be impaled...ha. What's the matter, have nothing to say? Nothing left in that smart mouth of yours? No; I see it in your eyes you want to attack but you are afraid to hurt little Shuichi Minamino. News flash girl, I am not Shuichi." He grabbed her by the face and sneered at her.

"You have your mother's eyes…the ungrateful bitch." He then shoved her backward to swing toward her death. But she stopped herself and hung midair her eyes gone charcoal. Youko turned and was slashed by a few of the thorns she sent flying his way dodging the rest as she cut herself.

"Don't you ever speak of my mother that way!" Youko licked the blood from his arm as he circled her menacingly.

"Well that's good, I thought you would put up more of a fight if I lit a fire in you. If killing you were that easy I would have thought Shuichi to be weaker than I thought. What did you think would happen, that I would love you as much as he thinks he does and welcome you into open arms, become your little pet or something? You are nothing but a hindrance to him; you make him weak and therefore you have to be disposed of. Or maybe…you should do the deed yourself, after all who would ever love a half-breed like you? You don't belong with demons or humans; your very birth was an abomination. Yes, I think you want to believe me but you are putting on a brave face. But tell me; do you really thing Shuichi could truly love you, mark my words he will be done and bored within a week and that's if you show him all of your skills." She flung him into a tree this time.  
"You're right about one thing, you are not Shuichi and so our pact has no effect on you. And rule one of battle; never underestimate your opponent, and if you want to break them mentally say something they give a damn about. I was getting bored."

"You impudent little bitch!"

"Aww….that's so sweet thank you! Normally I get smart ass or something but that…I will cherish forever." He sent the vine at her again and she sent more thorns to retaliate. If he materialized weapons she can manipulate them with her telekinesis; but as for a real plan she didn't have one. There was a soft rumbling and more vines came from underground at her feet. Wrapping her ankles and wrists binding her tight making her fall to the ground; she cursed as he kneeled over her just a breath away from her face.

"Your tenacity is intriguing; you held so much back and yet you are still able to put up a fight with me?" he stroked her face and worked his way down to her chest. Exposing her skin as the vines wound tighter.

"What are you going to do kill me?"

"Unfortunately Shuichi won't allow it; but that will not stop me from teaching you a lesson."

"And what lesson is that?"

"To know your place; this is urtica Dioica or the stinging nettle. You wont die but the hairs in this plant burns like ant bite. Under demon energy it will be like tike getting bitten by thousands of ants the size of dogs. Do yourself a favor and stay away from him for now on." The vines sprouted their fine hairs that injected their poison into Siera causing her to scream in pain as he walked away without a care. It was like being lit on fire and she couldn't move. She thought back to the full day she tortured Bakken and wondered if this was her justice? She blacked out quickly and awoke in her hotel room being cared for by Zoie. He licked her inflamed limbs trying furiously to remove the hairs and poison from her skin.

"He is dangerous….i should have listened and stayed away. I suppose you should say you told me so."

"What I should say is that I am glad you're safe and I will not be leaving you alone with him if this ever happens again." She realized very quickly that she was no match for this fox by a longshot; he was more skilled in his abilities than she was her and had many more years to prefect it. and she remembered how her best friend needed him to survive this match and in her heart she knew this was a win for him if this were the case. But even so this encounter chilled her and the words that fell from his beautiful lips ripped her apart. She felt he was correct in everything he said, if she were more human she would have stopped Genkai; if she were more demon she could understand their ways and adapt it was like trying to fit a triangle block into either a square or round hole. She didn't fit anywhere and because of that she was worthless. How could she ever face any of them knowing this now?

"It's not going to happen again…" Zoie looked up with sadness in his eyes as she cried; at the end of the day her own thoughts were right all along.


End file.
